Muslim freedom martyrs of India

Submitted by on 2 October 2009 - 10:49am

By Shafee Ahmed Ko, TwoCircles.net,

The Muslim names like “Ahmadulla” may be strange but are so sublime and solemn are resting in peace now but they neither knew any discrimination between Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Christians nor relaxed their incorrigible battle against to liberate India from the British Imperialism. Several young Muslim boys of tender age, graduates or any ordinary unskilled worker, they were all precursors in the fight to win the freedom for India.

It is very obvious that the Muslims too had a lion’s share in fighting to free our nation along with Hindus with other faith holders, not yearning for a nation like Pakistan, but only to form an independent India.But strangely enough, the mindset of present cohort particularly of few Hindu’s is regrettably different, for they think that it was only Hindus who achieved the Independence along with Mahatma Gandhi and negligibly a handful of Muslims like Ali Brothers, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Shaik Abdullah, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr. Zakir Hussain are the few who stood on freedom fight.

The book,” WHO IS WHO OF INDIAN MARTYRS” is so important one that it contains all the details of martyrs who laid their lives for the sake our India. There are several Muslims names, the age being tender from 8 and beyond who sacrificed lives in bullet shots, death sentences, and life sentence, sent to Andaman Island prison to die there unattended and uncared for. Following are few excerpts from the book:

“Ahmadullah: b.1808 Patna, Bihar; Son of Shri Elahi Bux; Prominent public man of Patna; served as Deputy Collector and as a member of Income Tax Board of Assessors for some time; Took active part in Wahabi Movement Arrested in 1857. Released after 3 months. Arrested again in November 1864. Removed from all public offices. Tried on charging plot on against the Government. Sentenced to death on February 27, 1865.The death sentence was later commuted to transportation for life and forfeiture of all property. Deported to the Andaman Islands in June 1865 and imprisoned. Died in the jail on November 21, 1881, alone and unattended. His younger brother, Yahya Ali, was also convicted of high treason at Ambala and deported Andaman Islands. Yahya Ali also died in Andamans.”

Another reference is worthy here how Muslim youths, school children along with brothers and sisters of different communities became victims all unarmed gathering at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on April 13,1919. The cruel act of the British Raj, under Brigadier -General Reginald Dyer who opened fire indiscriminately. The fire which lasted for 10 to 15 mts killed hundreds and wounding more 1500, including Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians.

A short and precise account of one more Ahmad Ullah who was born on 1884 at Amritsar Punjab, son of Shri Karim Baksh; Took part in Nationalist activities against British rules. Seriously wounded in firing by British troops on people attending a public meeting at the Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar on April 13, and 1919. Died on May 25, 1919″

“Alauddin Sheikh, born on 1912 a village in Mohammad Distt. Midnapur, West Bengal; took part in the Quit India Movement (1942). Led a procession to the Nandigram Police Station on September 30,1942 received bullet wounds in firing by the police and died the same day”

The similar accounts are many a one. The reiteration here is that the common notion that prevails in the minds of the young and old that India belongs to only to Hindus is misconceived. The genuine love and patriotism to our country lies not in only saying” “vandematram”, but not showing hatred, taking faiths as agenda for political purpose and ill treat privileged people. Present day politicians barring few are divided in factions spewing poison on each other in communal intolerance.

Since younger generation is the future leaders of our Nation, focus on text books should not remain controversial after the government’s change.

The students especially in the rural areas are not well informed on healthy politics. Most students are vulnerable to petty politics and remain enigmatic since they are not able to reach the patriotic assignments in the text books.

Names like Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Zakir Hussain, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, Mira Bhen, Anne Besant, Allan Octavian Hume, William Digby, and Henry Cotton (who are friends of India) are less known to young students.

Title: Who's Who of Indian Martyrs

Author Name: Dr P.N. Chopra (Chief Editor)

Binding: Hard Cover

Publisher: Ministry of Education and Social Welfare, Government of India 1972

Printed Pages: 357

Kerala Govt to appoint 1000 Minority Welfare Promoters

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala govt has ordered to appoint 1000 Minority Welfare Promoters across the state in order to ensure effective distribution of the central and state minority welfare schemes. The govt has also decided to organise 1000 Minority Welfare Scheme awareness camps across the state by including maximum minority institutions and minority concentrated regions under it.

The Promoters will be appointed in accordance with the minority population density of each region by specifically setting targets for these promoters. There are already such promoters working in the scheduled caste/tribe concentrated regions of the state and the Minority Welfare Promoters too will be appointed in similar manner. The promoters will be working under the control of minority cells of each District Collectorate.

In order to run the Minority Welfare Scheme awareness camps, the Govt will provide Rs 5000 under conditions to minority welfare organisations, Mahal Jama’ath’s and educational institutions

http://dcescholarship.kerala.gov.in/dce/main/index.php

Home

• Notifications
• Online Registration
• Candidate login
• Institution Login
• Complaints and Suggestions
• Registered Students Status
• Awarded Students List
• Other State Awarded
• Scholarship Statistics(Fresh)
• Scholarship Statistics(Renewal)
• Cut-off Mark Percentage
• Contact Us
• FAQ
• Adober Reader Download

Types of scholarship

For Further Information Please Contact Us

1)Post Matric Scholarship(PMS) 2)Central Sector Scholarship(CSS) 3)State Merit Scholarship(SMS) 4)District Merit Scholarship(DMS) 5)Merit Scholarship to the Children of School Teachers(MSCT) 6)Hindi Scholarship (HS) 7)Muslim Nadar Girls Scholarship (MNS) 8)Sanskrit Scholarship (SSE) 9)Suvarna Jubilee Merit Scholarship (SJMS) 10)Muslim Girls Scholarship (Paloli Committee Scholarship)(MGS) 11)Blind/PH Scholarship(BPHFC) 12)Music Fine Arts Scholarship(MFAS) 13)Scholarship for dependent of Jawans(JS) 14)Merit-cum-Means Scholarship Renewal

 

Online Scholarship - Previous Year Details

 Help Desk Numbers: 9446096580;  0471-3270202;   0471-2326580

For any queries please send mail to dcescholarship@gmail.com

Posted in the public interest and voluntary service by

Indian Minorities Welfare Trust (Regd)

No .10/6 Anaikar Complex, M.V.Badran Street

Periamet,Chennai 600 003 India.

Contact : Mr.Shafee Ahmed +91 91767 88678

email: imwt2012@gmail.com

Gopalgarh violence, firing victims losing hope for justice

Special Correspondent

 

Victims of the September 14, 2011, violence at Gopalgarh in Rajasthan, where 10 persons were killed and 30 injured in the firing and attack on a mosque, are gradually losing hope for justice with the Central Bureau of Investigation giving a clean chit to the top district officials and the State government failing to restore faith among Meo Muslims targeted by communal forces.

A delegation comprising representatives of Muslim groups visited Gopalgarh earlier this week, nine months after the horrific violence, and found an atmosphere of fear and distrust in the town amid allegations that the CBI officers were threatening the Meo community leaders willing to depose as witnesses against the policemen and Gujjars who allegedly attacked the Jama Masjid.

The delegation visited the town in Bharatpur district under the banner of Rajasthan Muslim Forum on the repeated requests of the next of kin of the deceased. The victims complained of “prejudiced approach” of the CBI’s investigating officers and the ruling Congress’ “complete indifference” to their plight. The much-touted judicial inquiry into the violence is yet to begin.

The CBI has arrested a local Muslim leader, Abdul Ghani, and his three sons on the basis of five first information reports and filed the charge-sheet in the court highlighting the police claim that if the policemen had not resorted to firing, there would have been large-scale violence. The 14 FIRs lodged by Muslims, identifying the policemen as accused, have been taken up for probe only recently.

Collector, SP reinstated

The State government has since reinstated the then Collector, Krishna Kunal, and Superintendent of Police, Hinglaj Dan, who were suspended for dereliction of duty, after they obtained stay orders in their favour from the Central Administrative Tribunal. Muslim groups have accused Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of deliberately leaving technical loopholes giving benefit to the suspended officers.

The delegation comprised Irada Society president Mohammed Hasan, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind State president Khurshid Hussain and national secretary M. Salim Engineer and Forum members Nazimuddin and M. Alam Khan.

In a statement issued here, the Forum alleged that the CBI was trying to protect the accused and implicate Meo Muslims in the Gopalgarh case. By not clubbing the 14 FIRs with the initial five FIRs, the CBI has found an escape route for the Collector and the SP and ignored the evidence of their complicity in the crime, it said.

“How is it possible that a premier investigating agency like the CBI could not notice the simple fact that for 24 hours after the police firing on the mosque, the police were in-charge of the site during the curfew when the bodies were dragged [out] and thrown into wells and cut into pieces and burnt,” stated the Forum.

Mr. Gehlot had himself admitted two days after the firing that the policemen had fired 219 rounds, while claiming that it was done to contain a direct clash between Meos and Gujjars. It was later revealed after the curfew was relaxed that all the bullets were aimed at the mosque, which suffered extensive damage.

Mr. Salim Engineer pointed out that the Meos whose houses and shops were looted and burnt had refused to accept the paltry amount of Rs.3,000 to Rs.4,000 each offered by the State government. The total damage of property, caused by fearless rioters during curfew when the Meo families had vacated the town, is estimated at Rs.2 crore.

The Forum took strong exception to the State government’s attempt to protect Mr. Kunal and Mr. Dan and demanded that a fearless atmosphere be created in Gopalgarh to enable the victims to get their statements recorded. A demand was also placed for a fair survey of damage to property, followed by adequate compensation and rehabilitation of victims.

Courtesy: The Hindu 

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/article3564641.ece?css=print

TISS report points to anti-Muslim bias of police

Meena Menon

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3563333.ece

“Most of prisoners in Maharashtra jails victims of prejudice”

A report on Muslim prisoners in Maharashtra jails by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) establishes that most of them do not have connections with criminal gangs, and points to an acute bias of the police for arresting them in some cases only because they belong to a particular community.

A Study of the Socio Economic Profile and Rehabilitation Needs of Muslim Community in Prisons in Maharashtra, 2011, by Dr. Vijay Raghavan and Roshni Nair from the Centre for Criminology and Justice School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), states that 96 per cent of the respondents have not been held under preventive detention charges, thus indicating that they are not viewed as a threat to law and order. 

The study which surveyed 339 Muslims, mostly between 18 and 30 years of age, in 15 prisons says this implies that most respondents do not have connections with criminal gangs or have any record which may be a threat to law and order. About 25.4 per cent of those imprisoned don’t have lawyers to represent them in their cases. 

The police’s bias against Muslims led to some of the arrests under the erstwhile Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA) and even under the Official Secrets Act.

‘Two types of laws’

 

An agent in textile export, Murtuza, arrested under the Official Secrets Act on charges of spying, says in his interview to the research team: “There are two types of laws in this country. One is for Hindus and the other is for Muslims. The policeman is first a Hindu and then a policeman. The judge is first a Hindu and then a judge and the lawyer is first a Hindu then a lawyer. People who work against the State, indulge in rioting, kill thousands of innocent people, and harass women and children roam free in this country. They are not punished. I am suffering only because I am a Muslim.”

Murtuza strongly feels that the discriminatory attitude is one of the major reasons for his arrest. He says that the police do not have enough evidence against him and yet he remains in prison. Two years have passed and the case is dragging on in court. He misses his court dates because the escort to take him to court is often not available. He has applied for bail thrice, but it has been rejected each time. He also applied for transferring the case to a different judge, but nothing has happened yet.

Poor victimised

Another prisoner Moiz says that “every time he tries to start life afresh, the police arrest him in some false case. They also demand money from criminals and those who can pay are set free. The poor are victimised. The police are very powerful and can do anything.”

Some interviews reflect the deep despair and alienation of the people interviewed. Muneer feels that after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, the rift between Hindus and Muslims has widened. Due to the riots and bomb blasts in 1992-93, the police perception of Muslims has become negative. The police view them as criminal minded. Migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are viewed with prejudice by the police.

Shoaib expressed his fears about the breakdown of the social fabric if the bias against Muslims continues. “The police have a negative perception of the Muslim community and act with bias. Due to the actions of the police and fundamentalist politics, the perception of Muslims is negative in society. If the situation continues to be like this, the next generation may get into further crime and vested interests could use them. Society’s perception and the negative feelings of hatred have to be reduced. Only then there is hope for a better tomorrow. Otherwise the situation will get worse for individuals, their families and society.” 

About 70 per cent of the 3,000 Muslims prisoners in 15 jails were under trials and 30 per cent were convicted prisoners. What is of concern is that 52.8 per cent are charged with violent crimes mainly murder, attempt to murder, rape, assault and kidnapping. Among the under trials interviewed charge sheets have only been filed in 47.4 per cent of the cases and a mere 3.8 per cent have reached judgement stage, indicating the slow pace of trials. Of those interviewed 75.5 per cent were arrested for the first time and 25.5 per cent are repeat offenders. 

The percentage of Muslims in jails is also a high 36 per cent, says Dr. Raghavan, quoting recent official figures. Along with Gujarat and Kerala, Maharashtra is one of the States with the most disproportionate number of Muslims in prisons.

The Sachar Committee report says that in Maharashtra, Muslims account for 10.6 per cent of the general population; yet they comprise 32.4 per cent of the prison population. For those incarcerated on terms of less than a year, the figure rises: 42 per cent of prisoners on short-term sentences in the State are Muslims.

This study was done at the behest of the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission in response to the charge of a disproportionate number of Muslims in jail. It makes a slew of recommendations relating to rehabilitation and correctional programmes, and the need for steps to sensitise the police and prison administration.

Last month the findings were presented at a meeting with Arif Naseem Khan, State Minister for Minority Affairs. 

The Minister accepted most of the recommendations, especially those relating to legal aid, adult education, vocational training, release on probation, and awareness and counselling centres in Muslim areas.

The Additional Chief Secretary of Minority Development will call a high-level inter-departmental meeting soon to work out ways to implement the recommendations.

Keywords: Muslim prisoner, Maharashtra jails

Courtesy:The Hindu Sunday,June 24, 2012

Source links for Minority Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarships in few States of India

In view of   Prim Minister's 15 point programme, the  provision Indian Minorities are listed below as  online links of Government bodies of few states offering pre as well as post matric scholarships. Students are directed to browse the links and get benefited. Most of the schemes  are ending by July 30, 2012 as last date. Students are advised to have direct contact with concerned officials.

The kind and generous persons are requested to down-load the application and Xerox or print and distribute freely to the needy students.

Government of Karnataka
Directorate of Minorities,
20th Floor, V.V. Towers, Dr Ambedkar Veedhi,
Bangalore - 560001.

http://www.gokdom.com/post-matric.htm

 List of Students Sanctioned Pre matric Scholarship 2011-12 Renewal

(Karnataka)

http://bandhalli.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/list-of-students-sanctioned-pre-matric-scholarship-2011-12-renewal/

Andhra Pradesh State Minorities Finance Corporation Ltd

http://apsmfc.com/

http://www.wbmdfc.org/notice/category/pre-matric-scholarship.html

Minorities Welfare Department,Uttar Pradesh

http://minoritywelfare.up.nic.in/english/default.htm

Tamil Nadu

MCM Scholarship (Fresh/Renewal ) Advertisement for 2012-13 

Ulemas and Other Personnel Welfare Board - Guidelines 

http://www.tn.gov.in/bcmbcmw/welfschemes_minorities.htm

Compiled in the common interest of the students

INDIAN MINORITIES WELFARE TRUST (Regd)

(Charitable Trust)

N0.6/10 Anaikar Complex,M.V.Badran Street,Periamet,Chennai 600 003 India.

Email: imwt2012@gmail.com

Contact Person:Shafee Ahmed 09176 7886 78

Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship for Indian Minority Students.

‘Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for Welfare of Minorities’.

http://ncm.nic.in/PM%27s_15_Point_Programme.html

(A) Enhancing opportunities for Education.
(1) Equitable availability of ICDS Services

The integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme is aimed at holistic development of children and pregnant/lactating mothers from disadvantaged section, by providing services through Anganwadi Centres such as supplementary nutrition , immunization, health check-up, referral services, pre-school and non-formal education. A certain percentage of the ICDS projects and Anganwadi Centres will be located in blocks/villages with a substantial population of minority communities to ensure that he benefits of the scheme are equitable available to such communities also.

(2) Improving access to School Education

Under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Scheme, and other similar Government schemes, it will be ensured that a certain percentage of such school are located in villages/localities having a substantial population of minority communities

(3) Greater resources for teaching Urdu

Central assistance will be provided for recruitment and posting of Urdu language teachers in primary and upper primary schools that serve a population in which at least one-fourth belong to that language group.
(4) Modernizing Madarsa Education

The Central Plan Scheme of Area Intensive and Madarsa Modernization Programm provides basis educational infrastructure in areas of concentration of educationally backward minorities and resources for the modernization of Madarsa education. Keeping in view of importance of addressing this need, this programme will be substantially strengthened and implemented effectively.

(5) Scholarships for meritorious students from minority communities

Schemes for pre-matric and post-matric scholarships for students from minority communities will be formulated and implemented.

(6) Improving educational infrastructure through the Maulana Azad Education Foundation.

The Government shall provide all possible assistance to Maulana Azad Educaion Foundation (MAEF) to strengthen and enable it to expand its activities more effectively.

(B) Equitable Share in Economic Activities and Employment

(7) Self-Employment and Wage Employment for the poor

The Swarnjayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojna(SGSY), the primary self-employment programme for rural areas, has the objective fo bringing assisted poor rural families above the poverty line by providing them income generating assets through a mix of bank credit and Governmental subsidy. A certain percentage of the physical and financial targets under the SGSY will be earmarked for beneficiaries belonging to the minority communities living below the poverty line in rural areas.

The Swarnjayanti Shahary Rohgar Yojna(SSRY) consists of two major components namely, the Urban Self-Employment Programme (USEP) and the Urban Wage Employment Programme(UWEP). A certain percentage of the physical and financial targets under USEP and UWEP will be earmarked to benefit people below the poverty line from the minority communities.

The Sampurna Grameen Rozgar Yojna(SGRY) is aimed at providing additional wage employment in rural areas alongside the creation of durable community, social and economic infrastructure. Since the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programm(NREGP) has been launched in 200 districts, and SGRY has been merged with NREGP in these districts, in the remaining districts, a certain percentage of the allocation under SGRY will be earmarked for beneficiaries belonging to the minority communities living below the poverty line till these districts are taken up under NREGP. Simultaneously, a certain percentage of the allocation will be earmarked for the creation of infrastructure in such villages, which have a substantial population of minorities.

(8) Upgradation of skill through technical training

A very large proportion of the population of minority communities is engaged in low-level technical work or earns its living as handicraftsmen. Provision of technical training to such people would upgrade their skills and earning capability. Therefore, a certain proportion of all new ITIs will be located in areas predominantly inhabited by minority communities and a proportion of existing it is to be upgraded to ‘Centres of Excellence’ will be selected on the same basis.

(9) Enhanced credit support for economic activities

The National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC) was set up in 1994 with the objective of promoting economic development activities among the minority communities. The Government is committed to strengthen the NMDFC by providing it greater equity support to enable it to fully achieve its objective.

Bank credit is essential for creation and sustenance of self-employment initiative. A target of 40% of net bank credit for priority sector lending has been fixed for domestic banks. The priority sector includes, inter alia, agricultural loans, loan to small-scale industries & small business, loans to retail trade, professional and self-employed persons, education loans, housing loans and micro-credit. It will be ensured that an appropriate percentage of the priority sector lending in all categories is targeted for the minority communities.

(10) Recruitment to State and Central Services

In the recruitment of police personnel, State Governments will be advised to give special consideration to minorities. For this purpose, the composition of selection committees should be representative.
The Central Government will take similar action in the recruitment of personnel to the Central police forces.

Large scale employment opportunities are provided by the Railways, nationalized banks and public sector enterprises. In these cases also, the concerned departments will ensure that special consideration is given to recruitment from minority communities.

An exclusive scheme will be launched for candidates belonging to minority communities to provide coaching in Government institutions as well as private coaching institutes with credibility.

(C) Improving the conditions of living of minorities.

(11) Equitable share in rural housing scheme

The Indira Awaas Yojna(IAY) provides financial assistance for shelter to the rural poor living below the poverty line. A certain percentage of the physical and financial targets under IAY will be earmarked for poor beneficiaries from minority communities living in rural areas.
(12) Improvement in condition of slums inhabited by minority communities.

Under the schemes of Integrated Housing & Slum Development Programme(IHSDP) and Jawaharlal Nahru Urban Renewal Mission(JNURM), the Central Government provides assistance to States/UTs for development of urban slums through provision of physical amenities and basic services. It would be ensured that the benefits of these programmes flow equitable to members of the minority communities and to cities/slums, predominantly inhabited by minority communities.

(D) Prevention & Control of Communal Riots

(13) Prevention of communal incidents

In the areas, which have been identified as communally sensitive and riot prone districts and police officials of the highest known efficiency, impartiality and secular record must be posted. In such areas and even elsewhere, the prevention of communal tension should be one of the primary duties of the district magistrate and superintendent of police. Their performance in this regard should be an important factor in determining their promotion prospects.

(14) Prosecution for communal offences

Severe action should be taken against all those who incite communal tension or take part in violence. Special court or courts specifically earmarked to try communal offences should be set up so that offenders are brought to book speedily.

(15) Rehabilitation of victims of communal riots
.
Victims of communal riots should be given immediate relief and provided prompt and adequate financial assistance for their rehabilitation.

Quota for backwards: Struggle for Social Justice

Ram Puniyani

After Supreme Court Bench had expressed unhappiness about the ways in which the Muslim sub Quota was created last December, the Government has been trying to submit the necessary data. Supreme Court wanted Centre to explain the basis of the move to reserve this 4.5% for the Muslims. With due support from relevant studies and documents Govt is trying to put forward the justification for its move. This Supreme Court verdict was in the backdrop of Andhra High Court decision to quash the minority sub quota. (June 2012) Andhra High Court had raised the point that the reservation on the basis of religion is unconstitutional. It is a strange reading of the constitution. The spirit of the constitution is that there shall be no discrimination on the basis of caste, religion or class. However, if certain communities suffer social discrimination and deprivation, the Constitution provides reservation as an instrument to neutralize the prevalent social disparities.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as per its anti minority and anti reservation stance welcomed the Supreme Court's refusal to stay Andhra Pradesh High Court's decision quashing the minority sub-quota. Its spokesperson also charged the Congress-led government with having a communal agenda and going in for "vote-bank politics". The implications of this understanding mean that the prevalent disparities should continue. BJP’s goal is not a society based on equity and justice as it is guided by ‘religion based nationalism’. Some others pointed out that the ruling party Congress, as such does not want the quota for Muslims in the real sense. This perception comes because Congress party does show a lack of will power in the direction of affirmative action for weaker sections of society as a whole and about Minorities in particular.  

As such Constitution does allow quota to educationally and economically backward classes. Today Muslims are educationally and economically very backward community in India. Its educational backwardness has been repeatedly pointed out by HRD ministry and Home Ministry in their reports for a long time. And the economic condition has been highlighted by Sachar Committee (2006) and Rangnath Misra Commission (2007). In this light how can the sound legal case be made to actualize the social and political need of our society to get economic justice to minorities, is a challenge for the Government.

Congress Government started taking this issue seriously and overtly from the time of UP assembly elections 2012. It promised for this 4.5% reservation for Muslims. As this promise came in the wake of the forthcoming assembly election, it sounded like one more election gimmick. As such we are riddled in a society where the affirmative action for the weaker sections of society is a must. Already we have the reservation for SC, ST and OBC. The reservation policy was all through opposed by BJP saying that reservation undermines merit. We are living in a society where merit has been successfully bypassed by the power of money. Capitation fees, buying seat in professional colleges with money is a big business. This has bypassed the ‘merit’ in a very direct way. Merit is also influenced by the social-economic inequalities, which is the major cause of backwardness of some sections of society. There have been agitations time and again which have tried to oppose the reservation for the weaker sections of society.

There are many issues involved here. The major issue is the principle that that the reservation should not be based on the grounds of religion. This point is well taken and here the issue is that this section of Muslims, which is backward economically and socially, is being considered for its backwardness not for its religion. To put it the other way around, can a religious community deprived of the constitutional provision of reservation just because it belongs to a particular religion? That will become a discrimination of grossest variety. All Muslims are not being considered for this provision, only OBC Muslims are being thought of. There was a time when section of Muslim Ulema claimed that this reservation is invalid as Islam does not permit caste system, it does not have caste system. Very true, theologically Islam does not have caste system, but caste system amongst the Muslim community is a social reality, confirmed time and over again and recognized by different commissions. The technical point that this quota should be approved by Commission for Other Backward caste is valid and Government has to go through this procedure.


The Supreme Court query about the ground for justification for this quota needs to be answered. Already Sachar Committee and Rangnath Mishra Commission have done a meticulous job and we need to stick to those findings and Government needs to argue the case on that basis. It has to judiciously use the data of these two reports to make the case for reservation. Why 4.5% is being asked for? Mishra Commission recommends 8.4%. These matters are related to proportions and the quota is necessarily in proportion to the population and the quota meant for it. For 52% of OBC, 27% of Quota was fixed. So now it is within this segment that the sub quota is to be created.

Other matching action which is needed is in the electoral arena. We have been seeing that the representation of Muslims is constantly declining in our Parliament and assemblies. Before independence the separate electorate had created havoc and was also the foundation of divisiveness and the tragic partition of the country. That is ruled out lock stock and barrel. The appeal to the political parties to give more number of seats to minorities is dodgy and has not worked. We can think of reserved constituencies for minorities. We cannot have lop-sided representation system. We have to create a future where we rise above these considerations, but at the moment such actions have to be part of our policy making. Needless to say ‘Equal Opportunity Commission’ has no substitute and we must intensify our efforts in that direction not only for Minorities but also for other disadvantaged sections of society.

The biggest hurdle to these policies related to quotas is the opposition to these policies from communal parties. The communal parties interpret and propagate about affirmative action in a twisted way. They keep on harping that these actions tantamount either appeasement of minorities or it is a way of practicing communalism. This is like putting the reality upside down. Desire for equality also needs to consider the causes of inequality and to overcome them through all means. These measures must be interim in nature, with a resolve to build the nation where religion and caste are not the factors retarding the growth of the community. The attempt of to polarize communities along religious lines, on these issues needs to be countered and the path of a just society laid down through social initiatives and administration support of the democratic Government. 
 -
response only to     ram.puniyani@gmail.com

All claims rest on the writer of this article.

“INDIAN MINORITIES’ WELFARE TRUST”,Chennai,India

An NGO, “INDIAN MINORITIES’ WELFARE TRUST” has been registered as a TRUST in Chennai, this day having its office at 10/6 Anaikar Complex, M.V.Badran Street, Periamet, Chennai 600 003with the main object of rendering service to deprived, oppressed and abused genre,  and also to obtain all benefits of Government Schemes to the MINORITIES. Following members readily subscribed their names to act as trustees, and the TRUST as whole salutes them in gratitude:

1. Jb.Ibnu Soud Shabdeen, Chennai

2. Kasim Sait, Anna Nagar Chennai 600 040

3. Dr.Sumayaa, Principal TABAK, Kilakkarai Ramnad Dist

4. Dr.KKA Hussain Ali M.D., Erode, 1.

5. Jb.Mohammad Saleemuddin, Chennai, 600 012

6. Mrs.Umai Banu Basha, Salem 635 001.

7. Jb.P.Usman Basha, Chennai, Park Town, Chennai 600 003

8. Jb.K.Saleem, Egmore, Chennai 600 008

9. Dr.Akmal Hussain, Ismailpur, Kannauj UP

10. Jb.Syed Anver, Advocate, Hosur, Krishnagiri Dist

11. Jb.Faizuddeen, Kancheepuram 631 501

12. Shafee Ahmed Ko,Chennai 600008.

Jb.Sulthan Musathick IARS has promised his support as an adviser.

Our email id: imwt2012@gmail.com