By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad: Yesterday evening witnessed history being written in Hyderabad when leaving behind political, sectarian and regional affiliations Muslim leaders as well as huge common masses assembled in the sprawling Darus Salaam compound to announce: We want reservation. Only this will undo injustice to us since Independence. It is our right. We will take it. At any cost. And we are united and one for it.
The five-hour long Muslim reservation conference which ended exactly at 12 in the night at the headquarters of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen in the heart of once capital city of Nizam rule sent hope across that it will herald a new dawn of Muslim empowerment not only in the Deccan but in the entire country. If at one hand there were Muslim religious leaders representing the entire Muslim community, there were state politicians from MIM, Congress and rival Telugu Desham Party from Andhra Pradesh and Muslim Rajya Sabha Members from Janata Dal United, Lok Janshakti Party and Samajwadi Party.
The massive gathering of more than 50,000 people, mostly young switching off their TV sets when IPL matches were on, demanded justice as it was not done in the last 60 years to the Muslim community in the country, and this can be done only through reservation, they said.
The conference, held at the end of a month-long campaign by Muttaheda Majlise Amal, an umbrella body of several Muslim organizations, with Majlise Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) as the leading group, put four demands before the state and central government: Restore 4% reservation to Backward Class Muslims in Andhra Pradesh; give quota to Muslim women within the women reservation bill of 33% in parliament, state assemblies and all elected bodies; implement Sachar and Fatmi Committee Reports; give 10% reservation to the Muslim community as recommended by Ranganath Mishra Commission.
The leaders clearly asked the political parties and governments to stop using Muslims as vote bank and prove their sincerity for the welfare of the community by providing them with reservation in education, employment and elected houses.
Asaduddin Owaisi, Member Lok Sabha from Hyderabad and chief of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen which led the one-month campaign for Muslim reservation in the state under the banner of Muslim Muttaheda Majlise Amal, was categorical on all burning issues related to reservation.
“Today we are writing a history here at this ground. We are from Congress, TDP, MIM, Jamiat Ulema and others but we are Muslims first and one on the issue of reservation. People have come from all parts of Andhra Pradesh. They are from different political parties. They are Sunnis and Shias, they are from Jamiat Ulema and other groups, but they all are united—a clear message to the government that Muslims have got united on the issue of reservation,” said Owaisi, second time Lok Sabha member from this city. His party MIM has 7 MLAs from Hyderabad in the state Assembly.
“When we visited districts, Muslims from all sections and political affiliations attended the gatherings and demanded reservation. Muslims have woken up and want reservation at any cost because they have been discriminated by plan and at a large scale,” said Owaisi, who is called “Naqeeb e Millat” by his supporters. He gave data to prove his point: Of every 100 graduates in the country, only 3 are Muslims. The community is 6% below the average national literacy rate (65%). Most of the people who live in kuccha houses, rented houses and poor urban areas are Muslims. They share 33% of poverty in urban areas in the country. They are on top in child labor. “Tell us how we reached this situation. Is it justice? Has anyone done justice to us? We want to live with dignity. We want our rights. Reservation is our right and we will take it,” roared the man who generally leads Muslim Lok Sabha Members when it comes to put issues of community and country in the House.
“Today in this massive ijtema, Muslims have come from Telangana, Rayal Seema, Coastal Andhra cutting across affiliations, to tell the government we want reservation. If Congress does not give us reservation, they will not get vote in 2014 assembly elections,” he warned. “Congress can’t go away saying ‘we gave you reservation, court took it away. They are in politics for 100 years. They know how to use political power. They will have to open door of power on Muslims. They will have to find way out of the legal tangle on Muslim quota,” Owaisi said.
On women reservation bill he said: We are not against women reservation bill, we just want quota for Muslim women in the 33% quota for women. They would say Muslims are not allowing their women out. Their women are not progressing. They would even demand change in personal law for ‘welfare’ of Muslim women. Now the same people are not ready to give quota to Muslim women. And when we demand it they say we are against women reservation. Giving the plight of Muslim women he said: of 7906 MPs in Independent India, there are only 14 Muslim women. Isn’t our demand for quota within quota justified?”
“But when are opposing the women reservation bill in its present form, they say we are against women. How can we against women when our religion Islam – and no other religion – said paradise is beneath the feet of your mother? Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) married a widow and raised the status of women in the society but you put your widows on fire alive.”
Highlighting injustice in the last 60 years to Muslims, Owaisi gave data: of 7906 MPs so far in the country, Muslims are only 470. In 148 Lok Sabha seats of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra combine, there is only one Muslim MP – that is Owaisi from Hyderabad. In 11 states there is no Muslim MP. Moreover, there is no Muslim secretary out of 80 secretaries in the central government.
He rejected the view that reservation cannot be given to Muslims on the basis of reservation.
“When people say Muslims can’t be given reservation on the basis of religion, I ask, what is the 1950 constitutional order? Isn’t it discrimination on the basis of religion when it says that Dalits can be only Hindus, Sikhs or Buddhists. That order is a blot on the Constitution,” Owaisi said.
Cutting across party lines, Muslim politicians were united on the issue of Muslim reservation.
Ejaz Ali, Rajya Sabha Member from Bihar (JD-U) supported 4% quota for Muslims in AP, quota within quota for women and SC status to Dalit Muslims.
“Amend Article 341 and include Dalit Muslims in the category of Scheduled Castes list,” he demanded and added that government is not doing it even after the reports of Rajindra Sachar and Ranganath Mishra.
“The 4% quota for Muslims in Andhra Pradesh was genuine and justified but government deliberately left loopholes so that it could be rejected. Political parities have just used us as vote bank and exploited us but never did any serious work for our welfare. Congress and BJP are same as far as policy of discrimination against Muslims is concerned.”
On women quota bill, he said: “We will not allow women reservation bill passed until provision for Muslim women is included. When we raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, we were kicked out of the House.”
Sabir Ali, Member Rajya Sabha from Bihar (Lok Janshakti Party) called upon the Muslim community to come to street for reservation.
“If you do not give us 4% reservation that is less than half of our requirement we will take it at any cost. We will launch a public movement. Do not test our patience. If we decide to come out on the street, the situation will be difficult to control,” said Ali. Making an emotional call, he said Muslims should come out to use their power, to wage a war against injustice. We were 313 and defeated the world. Now we are 25 crore in India, one can guess what can happen.”
“We were pushed out of the House when we demanded quota for Muslim women in the women reservation bill but we will not sit and continue our fight for quota within quota.”
Kamal Ahmed, Member Rajya Sabha from UP (Samajwadi Party) also addressed the gathering and talked about injustice to Muslims in Independent India. “Even 30 years after Moradabad riots, the victims are yet to get justice, and guilty are yet to be punished. Congress ruled the county most of the time after Independence and Muslims were gradually destroyed through communal riots. Killers of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were hanged but none of the culprits of Moradabad and Maliyana riots and Gujarat riots were punished.”
State Muslim politicians were also seen sharing their views with other Muslim politicians.
Mohd Ali Shabbir, ex-Minister, Congress said his party is honest and acted on its election promise and gave 5% reservation but communal elements approached the court and got it stayed. Our government is determined for Muslim reservation. We have approached the Supreme Court against the Andhra High Court order.
Lal Jaan Pasha, ex-MP, Telugu Desham Party: We wanted to give reservation to Muslims safely from legal tangle. We wanted to give 3% so it does not cross the upper limit of 50% reservation but Congress took it and gave 5% though they knew this will be challenged. He called upon Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen to go ahead on the issue as other secular parties have speed breakers on minority issues.
Several religious leaders also addressed the mammoth rally. They included Shia cleric Maulana Syed Taqi Raza Abidi, President, Tanzeem Jafariya, Maulana Masood Hussain Mujtahedi of Mahdavi sect, Maulana Syed Qubool Pasha Quadri Shuttari, secretary, Sadar Majlis Ulemae Deccan, Maulana Syed Mohd Auliya Hussaini Quadri Murtaza Pasha, Member, Majlise Ulema e Deccan, Hafiz Peer Shabbir Ahmed (MLC), President, Jamiat Ulema e Hind (Mahmood Madani group), Mufti Ghayasuddin Rahmani, President, Jamiat Ulema e Hind (Arshad Madani group) Maulana Syed Akbar Nizamuddin Hussaini, Ameer, Jamia Nizamia.
The conference was presided over by Maulana Abdur Raheem Qureshi, President, All India Majlis Tameer Millat and Secretary, All India Muslim Personal Law Board.