Srinagar, Aug. 4 (KNS): The Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama (MMU), an amalgam of religious, educational and social organisations in Jammu and Kashmir headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on Tuesday expressed concern over recent developments affecting Muslim students and educational institutions, urging authorities to ensure that education remains free from political and communal considerations.
In a statement, the MMU said reports of the proposed demolition of 38 out of 40 buildings of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur, where around 3,000 students are enrolled, were "deeply disturbing", although it noted that the demolition order had reportedly received interim relief.
The amalgam said Kashmiri students studying at the university had approached it over the issue, expressing anxiety about the uncertainty surrounding their education and future.
"Whatever legal or regulatory violations may be alleged against an institution, there are established legal and administrative mechanisms to address them. The future of thousands of innocent students cannot be bulldozed along with university buildings. Students have no role in such disputes and must not be made to pay the price for them," the MMU said.
The organisation also referred to the recent closure of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Jammu, saying it had disrupted the studies of students and created uncertainty about their academic future.
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The MMU said the circumstances surrounding the closure, particularly after the controversy over the admission of a large number of Muslim students to the medical college, had raised concerns within the Muslim community that students were increasingly being made to suffer because of their religious identity.
"Whether it is a Muslim-run university facing demolition or Muslim students finding their professional education suddenly disrupted, the consequences ultimately fall upon young students whose only aspiration is to study, qualify and build their future," it said.
The MMU urged the authorities concerned to ensure that no student was denied educational opportunities on account of religion, identity or political considerations.
It said any alleged deficiencies, disputes or legal violations concerning educational institutions should be dealt with through transparent legal processes while safeguarding the academic interests of students.
Calling for equal access to education for all communities, the MMU said educational institutions and students should not become casualties of political or communal disputes and appealed to the authorities to protect the academic future of all affected students.(KNS).