By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: The presence of Muslims on top government posts, both in civil and police administration, has declined during the current JDU-BJP combine government under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Earlier many Muslims could be seen on the post of District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, Vice Chancellor etc. But now it is hard to find minority officers on these posts. There are 37 districts and 13 universities in Bihar.
Today there is only one Muslim DM in Bihar – Firaq Ahmed in Kishanganj – and two SPs – Anwar Hussain in Sitamadhi and Nayyar Hasnain Khan in Purnea (Khan was Senior Superintendent of Police in Patna). Of 13 universities in the state, there is only one Muslim VC – Prof Qamar Ahsan of Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University.
“Earlier there would be four-five DMs and SPs in the state. Besides, there would be 2-3 VCs and chairman of University Service Commission or Bihar Public Service Commission would also be Muslim, but this is not the case now,” says Soroor Ahmed, senior journalist and political observer.
It is not that there is a shortage of Muslim civil servants in Bihar. Of 1492 Bihar Administrative Service officers (in civil category) today, there are 166 Muslims who can hold post from CO to DM. Besides, 5018 IAS officers in India, 179 are Muslims and 50% of them come from Bihar, UP and Jammu and Kashmir. But very few are seen on visible posts.
Not only this, in the appointment of principals in colleges in the state, the minority community was ignored.
“The community has been ignored in the last year’s recruitments for principals,” said Khursheed Ahmed, faculty at NIT, Patna.
In 2009, 59 principals were recruited at three universities but none of them are Muslims. At Jai Prakash University in Chapra, 24 principals were recruited. None of them is Muslim. Similarly, among 30 new principals at Bhagalpur Tilka Manjhi University, none of them is Muslim. Patna University also recruited 5 principals. There is no Muslim.