New Delhi: "Demanding a minority status for Jamia Millia Islamia would mar its progress as an institution and would erode its status. It would be better to value the institution as a Central university," said Professor T.K. Oomen of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at a meeting organized by the Jamia Teacher's Solidarity Association here on Tuesday.

Presenting an unbiased picture of the university, the professor spoke at length about the pros and cons of Jamia being accorded the minority status.

"Aspiring to maintain an identity within a relevant context one can also exercise the option to be either assimilated or isolated. While accessing the opportunities that are available in the secular context one should also be able to follow a particular lifestyle and religion", he said

Enumerating the cons of the shift, he further explained that if the institution decides to convert itself into a minority one, then the flow of funds to the university would see a decline as granting of funds to the university would then become controversial.

"The institution may also invite a feeling of alienation among the faculty members belonging only to the minority status. This would disincline competent faculty to join the institution as they would rather prefer to join a more open place to work. Elite Muslims may also not be keen to join the institution as they would rather prefer to join a reputed Central University," he added.

Being skeptical about Jamia sustaining its brand value after gaining the minority status, Prof Oomen said, "The very purpose of the institution after gaining the minority status would be marred as it would fail to generate people acceptable to the job market."

He added that it would also be difficult to amend the Constitution in this regard.

"Affirmative action could be extended to those communities (Dalits or Other Backward Classes) which are lagging behind in the social ladder," he further said.

Professor Bhatt, a faculty member of Jamia said that, "Jamia along with a university is also an ideology. Created by Muslim intellectuals, Jamia is open to all Indians irrespective of their caste, creed or colour. Having accorded the minority status to the institution would mean violating the founding ideology."

Several speakers including Prof. Imtiaz Ahmed and Prof. Shamim Hanafi emphasized that there was no guarantee of a minority institution achieving excellence.