AMU quota: Left leaders refuse to back off

The CPI leader D Raja, who believes that reservation is not really a ‘‘principled move’’ and that there should not be any quota based on religion in universities, took a very tough stand. He, along with party General Secretary, A B Bardhan, raised a number of key issues in their meeting with Ahmad. They insisted that the problem could not be viewed along religious lines at all. Reservation, they said, is taking the easy way out and lending a ‘‘communal colour’’to the otherwise neglected Muslim education.

Abani Roy of the RSP called the step a regressive one capable of creating further problems for education of Muslims in the country. Like Raja, Roy has also termed the step as an unwise one.

The CPI(M) had made its views clear in an earlier politburo statement and underlined the fact that it is against the move. The party’s decision is based on feedback and analysis received from AMU-based liberal thinkers including Marxist historians such as Professor Irfan Habib.

The University authorities sent feelers to CPI(M) leaders only to realise that the party’s stand, elaborated by general secretary, Prakash Karat, will not change so easily.

The situation is a little desperate for the authorities because of the refusal of the HRD Minister, Arjun Singh to align himself completely with the decision. His last statement clarified that he was distancing himself marginally by saying that his ministry had only ratified a move initiated by the University authorities.

Consequently, the authorities are now burdened with garnering more support for its decision to introduce the quota. Unfortunately for them, the Left leaders have put their foot down.