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Author: Mohammed Wajihuddin
Publication: The Times of India
Date: December 12, 2006
Using the findings of the Sachar Committee, which studied Muslims' social, educational and economic status and submitted its report to the prime minister last month, community leaders have mounted pressure on the Centre and the state government for redressal of their grievances.
At a massive meeting at YMCA ground in central Mumbai on Saturday, the leaders issued a veiled threat to chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, reminding him of the Muslim support he needs. "When we took a delegation of Muslim MPs to him a few weeks ago, we told Vilasrao that we didn't want to him to be another Modi. Unfortunately, he hasn't given much satisfactory signals so far," said Maulana Mehmood Madni, general secretary, Jamiatul-Ulema, a cadre-based influential body of religious leaders. "Very soon we will issue and an ultimatum to the government, followed by a jail bharo andolan, against the harassment of Muslim youths by the police," threatened Madni, who spent a week in jail for organising a dharna outside the residence of the then PM in New Delhi in 2002.
Though no leader favoured the formation of a different political party for Muslims, they emphasised the importance of Muslim representation in Parliament and assemblies. "You cannot get your rightful share unless you are politically powerful," said Badruddin Ajmal, businessman and head of Assain-based United Democratic Front (UDF) which took everyone by surprise by winning 10 seats during the assembly elections earlier this year. Asking Muslims not to consider themselves as a depressed minority in India, Ajmal thundered: "We are equal partners, not temporary tenants who will change homes. We must get our fair share."
Almost all the speakers referred to the recommendations of the Sachar Committee. In fact, the findings of Sachar panel is dominating most of the discourses in the community today. At a meeting last week, called by Anjuman Khairul Islam, a socio-educational group with around two dozen institutions, participants discussed the steps the community must take in the light of Sachar Committee's findings.
"The Sachar report is being unnecessarily hyped. The community needs to create its own infrastructure, instead of entirely depending on the government's doles," said senior advocate Yusuf Muchala. "Any demand of a quota on religious grounds will only give the Muslim-baiters another issue to hit the community."
Mohammed Arshad, director of Anjuman Khairul Islam's college, said that Muslim intellectuals have formed a cell which would often meet to chalk out the plans for Muslim upliftment. "Our focus is on educationally empowering the community. We strongly believe that quota is not the cure," said Arshad.
On Monday, Movement for Peace and Justice, a social group, invited scholars and activists to share their views on the Sachar report. "This is not the first time someone has studied Muslims' backwardness. We want the government's sincerity in removing redressing the issues," said Mohammed Anees of MPJ.
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