By TwoCircles.net news desk
New Delhi: The Joint Committee of Muslim Organizations for Empowerment (JCMOE), under the leadership of ex-MP and diplomat Syed Shahabuddin, has decided to launch a nation-wide Muslim reservation movement.
The JCMOE will mobilize Muslim electors to vote for parties which support reservation demand, says a statement released by Syed Shahabuddin.
A meeting of the members and some other Muslim activists of the JCMOE was held on 13 December for consultation on the Muslim electoral strategy for general election 2009. Among the participants were Dr. Z.I. Khan, President of the AIMMM, Maulana Ejaz Ahmad Aslam, Editor, Radiance, Mualana Mujtaba Farooq, Secretary, JIH, Mr. Navaid Hamid, G.S., MOEMIN, Mr. Javed Habib, President, Bharati Union, Dr. Obaid Iqbal Asim, G. S. UP Rabita Committee, Mualana Nizamuddin Islahi, (Azamgarh), Prof. Umar Hayat Ghauri, (Bhopal),Akhtar Husain Akhtar[Kanpur]Dr. K. A. Sattar,(Chennai), Dr. Arshi Khan (Aligarh), and 20 others.
Keeping the history of Muslim politics in the 20th century, before or after Independence, in mind, in the present context Muslims should project reservation as the key issue, perhaps their only demand, which was basic for their empowerment and which had the potential to mobilize the Muslim masses particularly the Muslim youth, said Syed Shahabuddin. He also said that the interest of the community did not lie in strengthening a party or having a strong government but in redressal of their grievances.
“Since the National Conference on Reservation in 1994, reservation had emerged as a major question and commanded the support of nearly all Muslim organizations and several political parties. Recently Mishra Commission had unambiguously recommended 10% reservation for Muslim in government employment and higher education but unfortunately the UPA government had not even tabled its Report in the parliament,” he said.
JCMOE meeting discussed several issues and a consensus emerged on the following points:
1. To press the demand for Muslim reservation a nation-wide Movement was needed.
2. Every effort should be made to remove the misgivings, if any, in the mind of Muslim OBCs and Muslim Dalits.
3. All effort should be made to bring all Muslim organizations already in the field on a common platform.
4. The support of all national Muslim organizations like the JIH, the JUH, the AIMMM, the AIMC, the AISC, the AIMC, the JAH and the AIMPLB should be obtained.
5. The political objective of the Muslim community in the General Election, 2009, should be clearly defined in term of Reservation and Empowerment and Muslims should be advised to vote only for parties which support this basic demand and which fielded Muslim candidates in Muslim winnable constituencies in order to raise their representation in the Lok Sabha.
6. Reservation should cover legislatures, government employment, higher education, development benefits and bank credit.
7. To launch the Movement of a Steering Committee should be formed with the inclusion of Dr. Z. I. Khan, Maulana Mujtaba Farooq, Mr. Javed Habib, Mr. S. Shahabuddin, Maulana Mahmood Madani, JUH, Mr. Zafaryab Jeelani of UP Muslim Reservation Tahrik, Dr. Manzoor Alam of AIMC, subject to their agreement, provided the Steering Committee may co-opt additional members.
8. The Committee shall contact Muslim Organizations, and all major secular political parties.
9. A National Convention on Reservation shall be organized in New Delhi at an early date, to launch the Movement and, subsequently, in the capitals and other major cities in ten states of Muslim concentration.
JCMOE has also decided that the Steering Committee shall nominate a Media Group to contact the mass media, a Publication Group to produce relevant literature and also Conveners and Joint Conveners, if necessary, for each state.