By TwoCircles.net news desk
Washington DC: A delegation of Indian Muslims in US, under the auspices of the Association of Indian Muslims of America (AIM), held a one hour meeting this week in Washington DC, with Vayalar Ravi, India’s minister for Overseas Indian Affairs. The AIM delegation comprised of Kaleem Kawaja, Dr Anwar Munshi, Dr Ishrat Hussain, MS Munshi, Nasir Chhipa.
The AIM delegation presented a memorandum to Minister V. Ravi. The delegation emphasized the need for the Indian Govt to develop special programs to improve the educational status of Muslims in India. The delegation stressed that the full implementation of the Sachar Committee report by developing specific plans and allocating funds in the government’s plans should be undertaken as early as possible.
Minister Vayalar Ravi told the AIM delegation that he agrees with the recommendations of the Sachar Committee to provide affirmative action help to improve schools and build new schools in Muslim majority districts in various cities in India. He promised to help AIM and other NRI Muslim groups develop a framework under the purview of the Sachar Committee Report Implementation Plan, in collaboration with the Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry, for improved schools for Muslims. AIM representatives explained that typically the financial ability of NRI Muslim groups is limited and they can not meet the huge demands of India’s needy Muslim community.
Mr Ravi said one possible avenue is for NRI Muslim groups to establish joint programs with the HRD ministry where the government could be the majority partner. He promised to discuss this suggestion with the HRD ministry upon his return to New Delhi. Mr Ravi asked the AIM people to contact his office in New Delhi and the representative of his ministry in the Indian Embassy in Washington DC. He also said that Muslims in North India are suffering from greater backwardness in education than those in South India.
Kaleem Kawaja
A I M
————————————————–
Memorandum to Honorable Vayalar Ravi, India’s Minister for Overseas Indian
Affairs
Issue:
How we Indian Muslims in U.S. can contribute to:
(a) Continuation of fast rate of growth of the Indian economy and;
(b) Improvement in the educational status of Muslims to prepare to meet the challenges of 21st century and the requirements of the rapidly growing Indian economy;
(c) Implementation of the Government of India’s Sachar Committee recommendation to remove the backwardness in the Muslim community.
Plan:
. Indian Muslims in America are proud of India’s economic achievements. The high rate of economic growth with democratic system of governance is unparalleled in history. India’s advancement in science and technology and highly educated manpower are also contributing to the global economy. Much of India’s progress can be attributed to the pool of educated manpower that is at the cutting edge of knowledge in the world. These are of course a small proportion of India’s large pool of manpower and many from poverty stricken areas are left out. Only very few Muslims are able to take advantage of it.
. The current situation of Muslims with respect to education is pitiful. About half the Muslims are literate and the proportion is much lower among Muslim women (11%). Less than one of every 10 teenagers goes to school. One in four adult Muslim women works. They are a minority within minority. Only about 4% of the examinees in class 10 are Muslims. Their representation in higher level technical and professional education is more limited. Muslims are not even in large businesses. Due to lack of qualification they are not well represented in the corporate sector. Muslims are starting with a very low base and have a long way to go. India cannot become a super power with a vast majority of people (Muslims) having no education or little irrelevant education.
. Association of Indian Muslims of America (AIM) appreciates the recognition of the above problems by the Government of India. The establishment of the high level Sachar Committee on the subject of backwardness of the Muslim community and its recently published report are steps in the right direction. AIM is eagerly waiting for the government’s plan for the implementation of the recommendations of this Committee. AIM would like to help in the Government’s Sachar Committee Report Implementation Plan to raise the economic and educational status of Muslims in India so that they can be equal partners in India’s quest to become a world class nation. We request your assistance to find ways and means in which the NRIs in US can help in this effort.
. Association of Indian Muslims of America also appreciates the efforts currently being made by Muslims and other organizations in improving the status of Muslims especially in education. However, you will agree that bold, innovative and large scale measures are needed to reduce the gnawing gap between the current situation and the rapidly growing requirements of the Indian economy. A few areas needing special attention are:
o Implementation of the recommendations of the Sachar Committee in a speedy manner. AIM would like to be a partner with the Government in these efforts to the extent it can.
o AIM could develop a common framework for actions taking the findings of the Sachar Committee into account so that a number of agencies/organizations in India can take coordinated and concerted actions.
o Help expand educational opportunities and employment of Muslim women especially in most depressed areas.
o Improve the quality of traditional craft in which Muslim men and women are engaged to compete in the global economy and find foreign market.
o Help Government select the best from among young Muslim students for providing special opportunities (financial support and coaching) to go to higher education, especially to compete for IITs, IIMs, IIScs and other universities, and to successfully compete for IAS and other Class I government service employment. There are good examples of it.
o Improve the quality of education in Madarsas by intensive training of trainers and modernization of curriculum. There are best practices in this respect and could be expanded to other areas.
o Involve the private sector to pay special attention to Muslim education and employment.
o Provide affirmative action help for Muslim students in technical and professional higher education institutions for a few years, to help the community recover from its extraordinary backwardness in these areas.
. Association of Indian Muslims of America would like to have recognition and to be provided with channels of communication with the Government of India’s responsible agencies and officials, in order to implement the above action items, especially with reference to the Sachar Committee Report, for the educational uplift of India’s Muslim community.