Campus Politics

FOUR years after his enforced absence from the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) campus in New Delhi over his remarks about Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses —he felt that banning the book was not the way to protest against its contents—Professor of History and Pro-Vice Chancellor of the university Mushir-ul-Hassan is again under attack. And this time round, too, Hassan has become the focus of an unsavury cocktail of university factionalism and national politics.

The immediate cause of the 'controversy' is his elevation to the post of acting Vice Chancellor of Jamia, following the death of his predecessor Bashiruddin Ahmed on September 7. It all began within a couple of days of Ahmed's death, when it became clear that Hassan would not be cowed down by those opposed to his officiating as JMI vice chancellor. But the Human Resource Development Ministry (HRD) dithered on issuing a formal notification to this effect and this gave enough time to assorted student leaders and some faculty members to raise a storm. Professor of Physics Z.H. Zaidi, the senior-most faculty member, laid claim to the post of acting vice chancellor as next in line after Hassan.

Hassan could not be considered for the post, the argument went, due to his four-year 'absence' and the resolve of the students not to let him enter the campus. The students union began organising protests, disrupting classes and making representations to Union ministers ranging from S.R. Bommai to C.M. Ibra-him and Ram Vilas Paswan.

Hassan too spoke to HRD Minister Bommai and met Home Minister Indrajit Gupta and Foreign Minister I.K. Gujral. He told them that he was both "willing and able" to officiate as vice chancellor and requested Gupta to provide him with adequate security to enter the campus. Hassan's colleagues say he was full of praise for Gupta and Gujral who were reported to have been "very sup-portive". Things seemed to be going in his favour when the HRD Ministry finally issued the notification appointing Hassan as officiating VC on September 11. Hassan took over the reigns of JMI the next day, but he has been functioning from home ever since as the security he asked for never materialised. "I don't have any idea as to what is happening about the security and I don't know how much longer I can go on. The situation looks pretty grim," Hassan told Outlook.

Besides calling for a strike, the student leaders have begun organising daily protests. While there are some students who support Hassan's appointment and are against the religio-political connotations the issue has evoked, the student leaders opposed to Hassan have a degree of overt support and retain control over the union. And not many are willing to oppose them, for fear of 'strong-arm' tactics.

And the student leaders have a definite agenda. Says Mohammed Fawzi, vice-president of the Jamia Students Union: "We told Ibrahim and Bommai that over 4,000 students at Jamia Millia belong to Uttar Pradesh and if Hassan is provided security and tries to enter the campus, we will ensure that all of them campaign against the United Front in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The repercussions in Uttar Pradesh are guaranteed unless a new vice chancellor is appointed immediately. And Bommai has told us that this would be done as quickly as possible. We will not let Hassan into the campus till he resigns from his post, though we have no objection to his continuing as a teacher. Also, we are mobilising the local population in the Jamia area against him; and religious leaders like the Imam of Jama Masjid, Delhi, and others will be on our side. "

 As for the teachers, the Jamia Teachers Association executive has passed a resolution in favour of Hassan. The administrative staff union leaders too are known to be pro-Hassan. But what the Union Government is bothered about is the student community. Or at least those who represent it. According to sources, Ibra-him, who is actively keeping track of the affair, has impressed upon Bommai the need for caution, given the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh elections and the controversial Deve Gowda-Bal Thackeray meeting.

For his part, Hassan seems weary. "All I know is that for over four years my fate seems to have been linked to one election or another and all things must come to an end," he says. "What is the conclusion one can draw?" asks a colleague at Jamia. "That the secular coalition fights the forces of Hindutva, but capitulates when it comes to Jamia?"