The annual convocation of Jamia Millia Islamia held on Thursday at the lawns of the Ansari auditorium in the university saw honorary degrees being awarded to actor Naseeruddin Shah, art scholar Dr Kapila Vatsyayana, social reformer and theologian Dr Asghar Ali Engineer, and actor and social activist Shabana Azmi.

Addressing students, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Mushirul Hasan pointed out that his address at this year’s convocation was more as a concerned citizen dealing with problematic issues that had been raised in the context of the recent Batla House encounter in proximity of the university.

Speaking on the effects of the stereotyping of the university following the recent incidents, he asked, “Already students are being denied jobs because Jamia is supposedly the breeding ground of terrorism. Cab drivers warn passengers not to enter the premises. Delivery vans and service providers baulk at entering our neighbourhood. Where will this madness end?” He also questioned the categorising the activities of a few with those of the entire university.

The issue of questioning stereotypes was also raised by U R Ananthamurthy, eminent Kannada writer and Padma Bhushan award winner, who presided over the convocation.

“How it is still difficult for a Muslim to get a house in a middle class locality in Bangalore? There is a need to bridge the gap between the ‘secularists’ and the ‘traditional believers’ while extricating Islam and Muslims from misrepresentation by the Western media.”

Critiquing the nature of the recent encounters in the locality and the city, he said, “The illusion of safety that is created by capturing those suspected in the acts of terrorism seems only momentary, as it is soon broken by another terrorist act somewhere. Even if those under suspicion are found to be not guilty later, the damage is already done by revealing their identities before the verdict is out”.

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