By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Ranganath Mishra Commission or not, Sachar Committee or not, discriminations against Muslims are on unhindered, forcing one to think that the largest religious minority in India has been pushed to the bottom of the society, in a planned way. The backwardness of Muslims in Andhra Pradesh has been highlighted in a letter by state Minority Commission member Syed Taraq Quadri to political leaders.
The letter, sent to chiefs of regional and national political parties including Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, gives ample evidence and statistics on discrimination and backwardness of Muslims in every area in the state, be it government departments, education, employment or land distribution.
Injustice in land distribution
Since Independence, the AP government has distributed about 55 lac acres of land among the poor and landless. Muslims constitute less than 1% of the beneficiaries. While the government has never taken any corrective measure to undo the grave injustice to Muslims, it is always ready to carry out legal fights in the high court and Supreme Court over 4% reservation to Muslims, says Quadri in the letter. The injustice in land distribution has consequently deprived Muslims of their share in Rs 1,600 crores earmarked for development of the distributed land under the Indra Prabha and Bhooyagnam schemes.
Under-representation in government jobs
In government jobs Muslims are grossly under-represented, says Quadri and gives facts to prove his point.
In the year 2005, the state government appointed 100 pleaders, none of them was Muslim. Of 70 public prosecutors appointed by the government, only one was Muslim. In June 2007, 230 lecturers were appointed at Osmania University, none of them was Muslim. Moreover, the government could fill a Muslim seat at the state Public Service Commission only on 17th June 2008. The seat had been vacant since 2004.
Muslims are neglected not only in regular government jobs but also in contract-based jobs in government departments. In that area, the Muslim community has not been given even one percent representation.
It is not that the state government does not make good-sounding announcements for Muslim welfare, but they remain just announcements for years. In the year 2004 the government announced to appoint 12 district minority welfare officers for districts which have considerable number of Muslims. After a lapse of four years not a single regular officer has been appointed.
Negligence in budgetary allocations
Quadri says that first just a fraction of funds is allocated for welfare of minorities in annual state budget and whatever is allocated is seldom used to the fullest. Allocation of Rs. 181 crores for minority welfare in the AP budget 2008-09 amounts to 0.1% of the entire budget. When minorities constitute 11% of the state population, equity and fair-play demand that 11% of the entire welfare and education budget of the state should be earmarked for minorities as is being done in the case of Scheduled Castes (15% of budget) and Schedule Tribes (7% of budget), says Quadri.
Shortage of staff at minority welfare departments
The state government’s step-motherly treatment with minority welfare departments is in full show here. The Minorities Welfare Department and various other bodies dealing with minority affairs are virtually toothless as they are deprived of sanctioned staff as well as funds.
Various minority institutions under the control of Minorities Welfare Department are not headed by a regular employee, thereby literally crippling administration. This results in denial of benefits to minorities. Most of heads of these institutions are on deputation.
Managing Director State Minorities Finance Corporation is on deputation. Directors of Both Urdu Academy and CEDM are also on deputation. Wakf Board CEO cum special officer is also on deputation. The CEO is a regular employee of Civil Supplies Department, so he discharges his duties of civil supplies dept. in official hours and attends Wakf Board after that. The functioning of the board can be guessed.
The State Minorities Welfare Department is devoid of 35% sanctioned staff, State Minorities Finance Corporation 50 %, State Wakf Board 50 % and State Minorities Commission 60%.
Quadri has also talked in detail in his letter about the educational conditions of Muslims in the state, minority professional colleges, wakfs and political representation of Muslims.