Notes from memory Vajiha complimented AM today.

He seemed embaressed for a moment then regained his composure and laughed and said that he will give her a double attendance. This is the third time she has complimented one of the teachers. One of them Baran mam was happy when she was praised - V told her that she was looking so pretty. Nishat mam had not seemed flaterred. she probably was a bit irritated if not angry with V for being complimented in that way. However its us the students who know that she has complemented three of them. The teachers who have been complemented probably think that its only him or her whom V found attracti Jamia has been declared a minority institution. I and a friend of mine were discussing the issue the next day in a light hearted way. My friend who is a Muslim had been reading the newspaper and I mentioned the subject because of having glanced through the newspaper in the morning. He started off by saying that there is a positive and a negative side to everything. He was being defensive but the class started just then and I was not able to know about his views better. It was not hard to guess that he was being defensive because he thought that I a non-Muslim dont agree with Jamia becoming a minority-institution with reservation for Muslims. Like most young people he because of being uninterested in peoples identity in terms of caste did not know that I belong to the what is called the General category and therefore need not worry about the descision affecting me personally in any way even in the future. The issue of reservations for select groups is one issue in which public opinion is clearly very polarised. Ones identity in terms of caste, tribe or community and even financial circumstance influence each persons subjective point of view on this matter. It is like in a match in which if there is any quarrel or disagreement the opinion of the players tend to be almost always governed by which team he belongs to. The two communities have always been respectful of each others customs and have lived separately and yet with each other. St Stephens and Aligarh university are both examples which suggest that minority institutions can be both successful and adequately secular in comparative terms. Any repression whether in the name of religious chauvinism or even secularism is not right. Is there not a certain subtle kind of hypocrisy in claiming to be secular and yet being religious in any way. We know that the constitution is very secular so everyone is going to claim to be secular. And is that not why a party like the BJP is the second strongest party. However it is arguable whether all atheists are necessarily more secular than those who are in any way religious. maybe by secularism is also meant an attitude of non-interference and an acceptance of diversity in religion or otherwise. The desire to end such a hypocrisy(even if only for some) is a philosophical justification for the setting up of minority institutions. Its a matter of identity and thats why a Muslim especially one who is religious can be expected to feel more comfortable in a minority institution meant for that community.