By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad: Workers of Majlise Ittehadul Muslimeen are upbeat that all roads in the capital city of Hyderabad tomorrow will lead to Darus Salaam, the headquarters of the party where it is holding a grand conference on Muslim reservation. Preparations are in full swing at the sprawling compound for the conference which is going to be held at the end of its one-month campaign in Andhra Pradesh for Muslim reservation.
“We are hopeful about the grand success of the conference. For the last one month we have held awareness campaign throughout Andhra Pradesh for Muslim reservation. We are also telling the state Congress government that if Muslims are not given reservation, they will have to sit in the opposition in the next elections,” Asaduddin Owaisi, MIM supreme and Lok Sabha Member from Hyderabad tells TCN while inspecting preparations for the conference.
On support to MIM for this Muslim reservation conference, he said, “MIM is part of umbrella organization (Kul Jamaati Majlise Amal) of several Muslim groups and as all are united on this issue we are getting support from all.”
This is the first time that a conference on Muslim reservation at this grand level is being held in Hyderabad, he adds.
“Without reservation, the Muslim community cannot progress. The Sachar Committee and Ranganath Mishra Commission have already established the backwardness of the Muslim community,” says Owaisi who is No. I Muslim Lok Sabha Member in putting questions in the House.
MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi talking to police officials on security for the Muslim reservation conference
On why state high court is again and again striking down state government’s order for Muslim reservation, he said: “We are also surprised at the decision of the honorable high court. First time the court rejecting reservation said the government did not take the view of Backward Class Commission but when the government moved to the commission and again came back to the court with green signal from commission the court said Muslims are not homogenous community. And in the latest rejection order court said reservation to Muslims will lead to conversion. I am unable to understand that Muslims are getting reservation in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for many many years and there is no issue of conversion.”
Intellectuals as well as common people are also hopeful about the success of the conference, and they are extending their full support to the conference of MIM on Muslim reservation.
Aziz Ahmed, Joint Editor, Etemaad Urdu daily: This is the first grand conference on Muslim reservation in Hyderabad. People are coming to attend this conference not only from Hyderabad but all parts of the state. At this ground two grand conferences of All India Muslim Personal Law Board have been held. I hope that more than fifty thousand people will attend the conference. We will tell the state government that they must be serious on the issue and take the fight to the Supreme Court with full preparations.”
Local residents are also emotional on the issue and are extending full support to the conference on the Muslim reservation.
Khwaja Iqbal: “We are supporting MIM conference on Muslim reservation because we feel that the reservation has been taken away from the Muslims because of inability and conspiracy of the state government.”
Shujaullah Khan: Muslims should be given reservation because our Constitution says that backward communities should be given reservation to uplift their condition. We reject the latest court view that Muslim reservation will lead to religious conversion.”
Mohammad Iqbal, a paan seller near the main gate of Darus Salaam: “Yes, we support Muslim reservation and the conference of our MP Asaduddin Owaisi on the issue. Muslims should be given reservation as this is the only way they can progress through.”