By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: All India Milli Council reiterated its demand for reservation to Muslim and Dalit women in Parliament by making changes in the draft bill on 33% reservation to women. The organization held a press conference today at Press Club of India in New Delhi to make the demand when the Parliament’s winter session started around talks that the bill may be put to vote in this session.
Addressing the press, Mauji Khan, an official of the Milli Council on behalf of the organization’s General Secretary Dr Manzoor Alam who was not present, said the bill in the present form is not acceptable to the Council, nor to dozens of like-minded Muslim organizations – their names were printed on the large banner hanging behind the speakers but representatives of most of them were conspicuous with their absence.
Asked about this, the Milli Council leaders did not give any clear answer.
Mr Khan said if the bill is passed in the present form this will further curtail the presence of Muslims in the Parliament.
In the last 15 Lok Sabhas (1952-2009) could see only 14 Muslim women.
Naved Hamid, Member, National Integration Council, said that Vallabh Bhai Patel Committee on Minorities (Constituent Assembly) had passed resolution for reservation to Muslims but just about 3 months before the Constitution was adopted three Muslim Members of the Constituent Assembly moved another resolution revoking the earlier one. They said they have faith in the majority community and they do not need reservation. But the community in the last 60 years has been cheated as they have been neglected in development process and consequently pushed behind.
The organizations the Milli Council said are supporting its stand on the issue include Jamiat Ulema-I-Hind (M), Jamiat Ulema-I-Hind (A), Indian Association of Muslim Social Scientists, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees and Muslim Women’s Welfare Organization.
There were seven people – six men and a Hindu Dalit woman – on the dais. When they were asked why these Muslim organizations do not give rightful position to women in their hierarchy – evidence of it that no Muslim woman was there – the leaders again had no satisfying answer.