By TCN News,
New Delhi: To discuss the way to press government about Muslim reservation and to continue the campaign for it, Popular Front of India (PFI) yesterday organized a meeting of community leaders at Constitution Club, New Delhi.
The meeting was in sequel to the PFI all India campaign from 31st January to 15th March 2010 demanding 10% reservation for Muslims in government jobs and educational institutions. It was attended by delegates from several states.
In his presidential address, PFI chairman Mr. E.M Abdur Rahman said that Sachar Committee report and the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission report have identified Muslims as most backward and recommended reservation for them but UPA government failed to take action in this regard and unfortunately Mishra Commission report has been tabled in the Parliament without action taken report.
He also expressed his concern over the way Women Reservation Bill was presented in the upper house of the Parliament without heeding to the demand for sub-quota for minorities and other backward class women.
On the meeting, K.M Shareef, the general secretary of the PFI, presented draft resolution for discussion and approval.
The highlights of resolutions include: Declaration of all Muslims as backward class, issuance of executive order earmarking 10 per cent quota for Muslims in government jobs and educational institutions, similar quotas in states proportionate to Muslim population in the respective state, preferred treatment to more backward Muslims than to their counterparts, amendment in the Constitutional (SC) Order, 1950 for removing injustice to Muslim equivalents of scheduled castes, and separate sub-quota for Muslim women in legislatures.
Giving his remark on the resolution, Professor Sai Baba of Delhi University emphasized that all Muslims should be declared as backward class and the SC quota should be increased to include equivalent castes among Muslims.
He argued that true democracy does not exist in the country and the political system of India should be reformed in such a way that the hegemony of a few castes and families could be abolished and all Indian citizens could enjoy fruits of democracy without any injustice and prejudice.
Addressing the meeting Syed Shahabuddin, the president of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, demanded reservations for Muslims in five departments; in employment, education, government schemes, capital flow and legislature.
He warned regarding the conspiracy to put Muslims against OBCs and SCs through pushing sub-quotas for Muslims within these categories. He said that Muslims should not consent on them and they should go on demanding separate quota for all Muslims even it means to change in the sealing decreed by the Supreme Court.
On delay in issuing notification of the pronounced 10 per cent Muslim reservation in West Bengal services, he said that it was nothing but a gimmick to appease Muslim votes.
He also demanded for development oriented group census for ascertaining due share of each social group in the fruits of progress and development of the country.
Others who spoke on the occasion include activist Abdul Rashid Agwan, Wasim Ahmad president Press Club of Jaipur, corporate advisor Mohammad Aslam and advocate Mukhtar Ali.