By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
New Delhi: The two-day National Seminar titled “Muslim Alienation: Manifestation and Challenges” organized by Department of Sociology, Jamia Millia Islamia, concluded today. Sponsored by ICSSR, the deliberations at the seminar revolved around three important problems faced by the Muslim community: Issues relating to stigmatized identity, Lack of security of life and assets, Unequal access to benefits arising from economic development
Dr. Abu Saleh Sheriff, an eminent economist and member Sachar Committee inaugurated the seminar. He stated that Muslim alienation is a result of systematic and mechanical manner in which groups of people of specified identities are driven towards peripheries of democratic decision making institutions. Such groups lack informational and institutional support structure/community networks which otherwise could interact with the governance structure and civil society. Exclusion can occur due to the acts of omission or commission by the political and governance structures. He suggested that to restore confidence of the Muslim Community, the following measures may be considered: Ensure social equality, inclusiveness, state must ensure physical security of minorities.
Professor T. K. Oommen, also Sachar Committee member, in his keynote gave a conceptual classification of the term ‘alienation’ as discussed in social sciences. He argued that besides facing alienation from the state and the majority community, the Muslim community has horizontal and vertical differentiation among them which leads to further alienation. The reciprocal repulsion comes into being because of inequality, externality and historically. He emphasised that Muslim alienation can only be overcome by ensuring following: Equality, Identity, Security and Dignity.
Prof. Imatiaz Ahmad, a famous Political sociologist, emphasized the need of interrogation on the subject from sociological perspective.
The second day of the seminar has three preliminary sessions on following themes: Mapping Muslim Ghettos in India, Gender, Islam and Modernity and Construction of identity, Process and Dynamics.
At the end of the seminar a panel discussion was held on State, Society and Minority Exclusion: Muslims in Independent India. The Panelists included Asghar Ali Engineer (Social Scientist), Prof. Anand Kumar (Sociologist), Zakia Soman (social activist) Prashant Bhusan (Senior Advocate), Dr. M.K. Muneer (Ex- Minister, Kerala).
The Valedictory address was delivered by Prof. Javeed Alam, Chairman, ICSSR. He endorsed the importance of the theme of the National Seminar and stated more academic research is required in this field so that new direction is provided to overcome the problem of alienation among minorities and strengthening pluralistic democracy.