By IANS,
Mumbai: A national conference of Muslim scholars and Islamic organisations here Monday demanded reservations for the community on the lines of Andhra Pradesh, which earmarks nearly 5 percent of seats in government educational institutions and jobs for the group.
President of the All India Ulema Association Maulana Sayed Athar Ali said the Andhra Pradesh model can be easily replicated in other states in the country.
The demands came in the wake of the Sachar Committee pointing out that the Muslim community lags behind even Dalits in education and economic activities.
Referring to the Right to Education bill, Ali and other clerics expressed serious reservations about certain provisions in it.
“Reservations for Muslims in the educational sector is the need of the hour. But, certain sections of the bill in its present form would be detrimental to the traditional madrassa system of education widely accepted in the community,” Ali pointed out.
Renowned Islamic scholar from Uttar Pradesh, Maulana Tauqeer R. Khan, said that in order to increase representation of Muslims in jobs in the private and public sector, special coaching should be organised for the community students.
“This can be easily done through Maulana Azad Foundation. Free coaching services for the Muslim students would ensure that they compete with the best in the country on equal terms. Similarly, academic and professional guidance cells must be set up in all minority-dominated pockets around the country,” he urged.