By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: The Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre is not against reservation to Muslims; rather it is seriously considering reservation to Pamanda Muslims. The government does not favor reservation to entire Muslim community. The Union Human Resource Development Ministry is also ready to launch a project for opening ITIs and polytechnics in each minority concentrated districts (MCDs), said Union Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.
R-L: Maulana Fazlurraheem Mujaddidi, Maulana Wali Rahmani, Salman Khurshid, Syeda Syedain Hameed and others
In his presidential address at the National Conference on “Government Minority Welfare Schemes: Intentions and Deviations” held at Jamia Hamdard in New Delhi today, the Union Minister showered a slew of promises to Muslims. They included three big minority universities in North India, expansion of the list of MCDs and constitution of monitoring committee consisting community members to watch implementation of minority welfare schemes throughout the country.
The conference presided over by Salman Khurshid and addressed by Syeda Syedain Hameed, Member, Planning Commission of India, besides other dignitaries including Maulana Mohammad Wali Rahmani, Director, Rahmani Foundation Munger and Members of Parliament, brought to notice of the Central Government the lacuna, shortcomings and ineffectiveness of multi-crore Multi-sectoral Development Plan (MsDP) being implemented in MCDs.
The daylong conference, jointly organized by Jamia-Tul-Hidaya, Jaipur and Rahmani Foundation Munger was to demand reform in MsDP to change its present priorities, a drastic change in the system that implements government schemes and construction of educational infrastructure for the minorities, namely an ITI, a polytechnic and +2 boarding schools separately for boys and girls in all 90 MCDs under the MsDP in the country.
Opening the conference, Maulana Mohammed Fazlurrahim Mujaddidi, Rector, Jamea-Tul-Hidaya, said the projects being implemented under MsDP are very much in general and due to bias in implementing such programs, minorities, particularly Muslims are little going to benefit from them. Under MsDP 2,15,260 Indira Awas units are being built. It can be guessed how many Muslims will benefit from this scheme as they have faced discrimination in BPL listing, said Maulana Mujaddidi.
Muslims were not given reservation due to constitutional obstacles and quota within quota still a dream due to politics. Will the minority welfare programs for MCDs meet the same fate? Maulana asked.
Addressing the gathering Syeda Syedain Hameed, Member, Planning Commission of India, said the conference is at right time as the Planning Commission is analyzing plans, schemes for minorities as this is the middle of the 11th Five Year Plan. We are checking shortcomings and lack of resources in schemes.
Talking about minority scholarship schemes being run by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs, Syeda Syedain Hameed said: The Planning Commission is ready to allot more funds for pre-matric and post-matric scholarship schemes if the minority ministry wants. These schemes have been very popular.
She also stressed on the community to be vigil and put pressure on authorities to make them accountable as SCs and STs do.
Eminent social activist Shabnam Hashmi also pitched for ITIs and polytechnics in MCDs. “Of 90 MCDs, 53 are in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam. There are 84 MPs and more than 450 MLAs. Of 84 MPs only 18 are from BJP. The Minority Minister should urge these MPs to open an ITI, Polytechnic in their districts,” she said.
Directly addressing Salman Khurshid, she said only passing projects and funds will not suffice, he will have to ensure that each DM in those minority districts honestly implement minority programs, he will have to monitor the programs.
In his presidential speech, Salman Khurshid, while commenting on the demand for allocation of 50% of MsDP fund on education of minorities, said: there is no need to do that as the Human Resource Development Ministry itself is working on the line. HRD is ready to build an ITI and polytechnic in each MCD. I have discussed the issue with HRD Minister Kapil Sibal.
“Besides, the government is seriously working on three universities in Muslim dominated regions in North India where 50% seats will be reserved for Muslims. It is useless to spend energy on minority status of AMU or Jamia Millia,” said Khurshid. In the proposed three universities the wakf board will have a say as the land for them will be provided by wakf boards, he added.
While agreeing to the public view that the system for implementation of a government scheme needs to be changed if such schemes are to be implemented honestly, Salman Khurshid said the Central Government is deploying various methods to make sure the MsDP funds are spent properly. The methods include inclusion of public representatives like MPs and MLAs in the implementation committee and formation of a national monitoring committee comprising members of social and civil groups. The National Productivity Council is training 150 monitors. They will visit MCDs, check implementation of the scheme and report to the centre, the minister said adding that he himself is planning to visit each of 90 MCDs.
On reservation to Muslim community he said: Government is not against reservation to Muslims. But the reservation will not be to the entire community. Government, however, is ready for reservation to Pasmanda Muslims. It is ready to give quota within quota of 27% as has been done in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Besides, Equal Opportunities Commission will monitor Muslim presence in both public and private sectors, he said.
“We are also thinking to expand MCD by including districts of 15% minority population or above. By this 17 more districts will be included from UP. In the present list of MCD, districts with 25% or above minority population have been included.
The minister urged the organizers to send him the recommendations of this conference. He will hand over them to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Rajya Sabha MPs Muhammad Adeeb and Ahmad Sayeed Malihabadi and Supreme Court lawyer Yusuf Muchala also spoke.