Denying minority status to Jamia Millia Islamia is a negation of history and an attack on the rights of minorities: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind

Denying minority status to Jamia Millia Islamia is a negation of history and an attack on the rights of minorities: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind

New Delhi,: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has criticized the Government of India for opposing the minority status of Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) University. In a statement to the media today, JIH Secretary General Muhammad Salim Engineer said: ‘’By submitting an affidavit in the court, opposing the  minority status of Jamia, the Government of India has negated the history of Jamia Milia as well as the constitutionally guaranteed rights to the minorities''.  “The minority character and status of Jamia cannot be denied as it is so apparent by its name and the very well established fact that it was formed by the Muslim community of India with whatever limited resources they had at their disposal. There exists complete documentary evidence for the same and there is a historical background that led to its formation. Jamia and its founders played an important role in the freedom struggle of India and played a prominent role in our nation building,” he added.

Salim Engineer further said: “In 1963 JMI acquired deemed university status and became a recognized University in 1988 by an Act of Parliament. In 2011 the National Commission for Minorities Education Institute (NCMEI) awarded Jamia its minority status. Even after all this; if we are questioning the minority status of Jamia then it is a great insult and mockery of an established government institution such as the NCMEI, which is a quasi-judicial body, endowed with the powers of a Civil Court and is the final authority for granting affiliation as a minority educational institution to any university.”

Salim Engineer called on the Government of India to refrain from tampering with the minority status of Jamia. He also appealed Jamia authorities and all justice loving organizations to play their respective roles in protecting the minority character and status of the University, and thus defending the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.