By TCN News,
Hyderabad: Three-day (22-24) National Conference on ‘Exclusionary Perspectives for Muslims & Marginalized Groups’ has been kicked off today at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), Hyderabad.
Delivering the keynote speech at Inaugural session, eminent sociologist Prof. T.K. Oommen said: “Exclusion is a universal phenomenon. There is nothing extraordinary about it. However, in a stratified and hierarchical society like India, social exclusion based on discrimination and prejudice takes the dangerous form of externalization.”
Prof. T.K. Oommen delivering keynote speech
Prof. Oommen, who had been a member of Sachar Committee, has strongly rejected the thought of fascists and extremists that Muslims have been appeased “The concept of Muslim appeasement is nothing but a myth, otherwise the Muslim community wouldn’t have been in such a pathetic condition. In the contemporary Indian Society there is an attempt to regard the Muslims as cultural outsiders. This is a sort of humiliating exclusion” he added.
Dealing with the issue of Reservation for minorities, particularly for Muslim community, he said: “Sachar Committee & Ranganath Mishra Commission have endorsed the pathetic conditions of the community and recommended for reservations. However, in the present scenario, it looks highly impossible to provide reservations for Muslims within the frame work of the constitution. Opponents of Muslim Reservation argue that since Islam Preaches equality, there is no stratification among Muslim and Christians. Even if the constitution is amended, these elements will not allow the Govt. to implement Muslim Reservations.”
He further said: “According to the 2001 census he claimed that there are 3-4 % Muslims in India who hail from scheduled caste communities. 30 – 40 % Muslims belongs to OBC communities. This itself proves that like other communities, Muslims are also stratified.”
On sorry condition of Urdu language he said: “There are several factors which created the present dismal condition of the language. It has been forced to suffer from cultural disability despite being the sixth biggest language of the country.”
Dr. Amirullah Khan addressing the conference
Dr. Amirullah Khan, Research Director & Dean, Bangalore Management Academy, raised various questions regarding to the efficiency of the reservation policy.
“Service sector in Indian covers only 7% of the work force. There is a strong need to analyze and review the benefits of the reservation policy” he opined.
In his presidential speech, Prof. K.R. Iqbal Ahmed, Vice-Chancellor of MANUU, appreciated the organizers of the conference and described it as positive attempt to identify a genuine issue and said: “There are several factors which constitute the social exclusion. Caste system is one of them” he added.
The three-day conference is being organized by Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion & Inclusive Policy of MANUU. Over 100 delegates from across the country are participating the conference.