By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
New Delhi: There has been no progress in real terms allege Syed Shahabuddin, President of Mushwarat in response to ‘Follow-up Action’ statement of the Minister of Minority Affairs in Lok Sabha. He urged Indian Muslims to take up sustained and united political action to get their legitimate due.
The Action Taken Report (APR) is nothing new and appears to be same as the reply the Minister of Minority Affairs A. R. Antulay gave to question by Nirmala Deshpande in Rajya Sabha on 13th August.
Mr. Shahabuddin said the case of Muslim uplift is same as it was in May 2007, when the Cabinet considered the Sachar Report. Sachar Report was submitted to the Government in November 2006.
Calling it a cover-up and refusal to do anything concrete for the uplift of the Muslims of India, Mr. Shahabuddin said the backwarndess of Muslims requires extending the benefit of reservation to them.
He also demanded that the Ranganath Mishra Commission’s report to be made public. Mishra Commission is reported to recommend reservation for Muslims.
While much remains to be decided by the government, Mr. Shahabuddin notes that even when decisions like scholarship, special coaching schemes, and plans for selected districts and towns have been made, “no funds have been allocated and no implementation agency has been named, or a proper procedure prescribed for expeditious implementation.”
The statement issued by Syed Shahabuddin on behalf of AIMMM and recently formed Joint Committee of Muslim Organisations for Empowerment (JCMOE) list following issues with Sachar follow-up:
The projects and schemes for districts, towns and cities are yet to be formulated. The are being worked out by an Inter-ministerial Task Force.
Comprehensive programme, for skill and entrepreneur development and the matching access to credit is also under consideration by an Inter ministerial Group.
For opening of schools, for literacy drives, for training of teachers, for provision of hostels and for linking Madrasa certificates with higher education, details are yet to be worked out.
Sensitization of government employees to importance of diversity and social inclusion for providing incentives on the basis of social index to educational institutions, work places and living spaces has been left to an Expert Group to explore.
Removal of anomalies in representation of Muslims in legislatures is again left to a High Level Committee.
The establishment of Equal Opportunity Commission is yet to be considered by an expert group.
The National Data Bank and the Assessment and Monitoring Agency lie in the bosom of time.
The statement notes that all these have no immediate relevance and it will take a long time before community see benefit from these programmes.
“What the community needs all over the country, not only in some selected districts or towns, which together cover only 30% of its population, but in all is mohallas and bastis, to begin with, are facilities for primary education and vocational training, primary health centres, paved lanes and drainage, due share in low cost housing, employment opportunities, seed money for mini enterprises, due representation in Panchayat Raj Institutions, state legislatures and in Parliament,” Mr. Shahabuddin said, thus laying out a concrete plan for the uplift of Muslim community.
It is obvious that the government is not sincere and therefore instead of making improvements, they are just trying to impress the Muslim Community, allege Mr. Shahabuddin. He called the statement in Lok Sabha just “another card played in the continuing game of political deception.”
Recently, CPI(M) also called this ATR as one of the “tokenism” that Muslims have been served since Independence.
Addressing Indian Muslims, ex-MP Syed Shabuddin said that Muslims should learn from past experience and should not put too much faith in it. Reminding them about 15 Point Programme and Gopal Singh Report, Mr. Shahabuddin said that “without sustained and united political action it will never receive its legitimate due in any sphere-governance education or economy.”