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        Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh, the Field Marshall of Minority Appeasement, brushed aside the angry chorus from academics and scholars and the Leftist parties, and went ahead with his vote-bank proposal last year and approved 'communal reservation' in the 140-year-old Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) whereby 50 per cent of seats in postgraduate disciplines will be reserved for Muslim students. The Union HRD Ministry was the prime mover of this communal proposal although, officially, it only ratified the decision made by the Aligarh Muslim University's (AMU) Executive Council.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817-1898), founding father of Pakistans.-

This reservation was introduced in 36 postgraduate courses, mostly professional, which include the most sought-after like MD, MBA, M Tech, Master of Computer Sciences and Applications and M Ed.        HRD Ministry officials justified this proposal by using the fig leaf of Section 5 (c) of the AMU (Amendment) Act, 1981, which empowered the university to 'promote especially the educational and cultural advancement of the Muslims of India.' For the past 24 years, this clause has never been used the political way in which it is now being used by Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh.         The Aligarh College established by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, had a Principle called Theodore Beck in 1883. In a very short time, he succeeded in becoming the friend, philosopher and guide to Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. He was the secret hand moving behind the curtain which gave the Aligarh Movement a vicious anti-Hindu and anti-Congress turn.         The first step that Beck took in order to carry out his divisive anti-Hindu and pro-Muslim design was to assume the editorial control of Institute Gazette — the official organ of the Aligarh College. Issue after issue of that Gazette thereafter began pouring venom against the Hindus and the Congress in particular. His strategy was clear: it was to keep the Muslims away from the Hindus and the Congress. He called upon the Muslims to make common cause with the British in order to oppose the Congress demands. And all this carried on with Sir Syed remaining as the nominal editor of the Gazette.

        Soon after the Indian National Congress was started in December 1885, Theodor Beck sensed the threat that it might pose in course of time to the British Empire in India. In 1888, he took the initiative to found - The United Indian Patriotic Association, which was meant to serve as a counterblast to the Congress and keep the intelligentsia on the side of the British. He saw to it that a branch of this association was opened in England also. After a time, Beck pioneered one more association called 'The Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental Defence Association', restricting its membership only to Muslims and Europeans. The main objects of this Association were twofold:

        a) To strengthen the hands of the British rulers.

        b) To protect and uphold the Rights of Muslims.

        In these collusive machinations of Beck, Governor-General and Viceroy Lord Dufferin too joined his hands. By inviting Sir Syed Ahmed Khan for a special meeting, Lord Dufferin converted him into a confirmed opponent of all Nationalist and democratic forces in the country in general and the Congress in particular. Theodore Beck, ably abetted by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, openly instigated the Muslims to proclaim cow-slaughter as their fundamental religious right.

        Here are a few flashes from the truly secular and humanitarian armoury of Sir.Syed Ahmed Khan. I am quoting from his public speech at Lucknow in 1888: 'I do not understand what these words Indian National Congress mean. Is it supposed that a different castes and creeds living in India belong to one nation or can become a nation and their name and aspirations be one and the same? I object to every Congress in any shape or form whatever which regards India as one nation'.

        God forbid, in case the British left, the Hindus and the Muslims cannot share power because it is necessary that one should conquer the other'.

        In 1889, Charles Bradlaugh, piloted a Bill in the British Parliament seeking to introduce an element of democracy in India. This time again Beck incited the Muslims to protest against this measure. Beck vehemently argued that the Parliamentary system in India was most unsuited and the experiment would prove futile even if the representative institutions are introduced. To quote his own words in this context: 'The Muslims will be under the majority opinion of the Hindus, a thing which will be highly resented by the Muslims, and which, I am sure, they will not accept quietly.'

        In 1889, Beck organized a signature campaign of Muslim students from Aligarh College to protest against Bradlaugh's Bill and later obtained in all 20,735 signatures from Muslims in general. He himself accompanied a batch of Aligarh Students to Jamma Masjid on a Friday in 1890, to lodge their protest against British Government's move to establish representative institutions in India.

        When Theodore Beck died in 1899, Sir John Strachey paid the following tribute for his anti-Hindu and Islam embracing British Empire Services:

        'An Englishman who was engaged in Empire-Building activities in a far-of land has passed away. He died like a soldier at the post of his duty. The Muslims are a suspicious people. These opposed Beck in the beginning suspecting him to be a British spy, but his sincerity and selflessness soon succeeded in his gaining their confidence'. Beck was succeeded by Archibald. He continued the Beck tradition in a splendid manner.