By Dr. Syed Ahmed, for TwoCircles.net,
Imphal: All Manipur Muslims (Meitei-Pangal) Welfare Association (AMMPWA) organised “One-Day National Seminar on Opportunities and Challenges of Muslims in Manipur,” under the aegis of Manipur State Minorities Commission (MSMC) on December 9, 2012 at Classic Hotel, Imphal.
The inaugural session of the seminar was attended by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Md. Abdul Nasir as Chief Guest, Parliamentary Secretary of Minority & Other Backward Classes (MOBC) & Scheduled Castes and Sc. & Tech., Md. Amin Shah, Chairperson of MSMC, A. Halim Chawdhury (Retd. IAS) and Former Member, Steering Committee of NER Vision 2020, Prof. Mohendro Singh as Guests of Honour and President of AMMPWA, M.A. Janab Khan as President of the session.
Releasing the booklet
Inaugurating the national seminar, Md. Abdul Nasir said it is the duty of the Muslim intellectuals and scholars to study and analyze the socio-economic and educational status of the Muslim community in the State, and identify the problems and suggest measures to improve the overall status of the community.
He also expressed confidence that the seminar will bring out affirmative recommendations for the welfare of the Muslim community. He assured that the State government will try to accomplish the recommendations. A booklet which highlights the achievements of AMMPWA was also released at the inaugural session. The booklet also contains all the papers which were presented at the seminar.
In the two technical sessions 13 papers were presented by academicians, government officials and research scholars. The first session was moderated by Prof. N. Mohendro Singh and the second session by Prof. M.C. Arun, Department of Anthropology, Manipur University.
Finance Manager of the Manipur Police Housing Corporation Ltd., Md. Ziaur Rahman examined the economic status of the Muslims in Manipur using various standard parameters in his paper. He suggested the need for an autonomous data collection body, strengthening the legal basis for providing equal opportunities, enhancing participation in governance and encouraging community initiatives.
Research scholar, Dr. Mohd Shakil Ahmed looked at the theoretical premise that is being employed in the demand for affirmative policies for Muslim backward groups in the country in his paper. He suggested that there is the need to reinvent the practice of identifying backwardness in the country by looking beyond the caste.
Subject Matter Specialist (Fisheries), Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Central Agricultural University, Imphal, M.A. Salam underlined the need for entrepreneurship development to uplift the socio-economic status of the Muslims in the rural areas of Manipur in his paper. He highlighted some of the advanced schemes introduced by the State Government in the field of agriculture and horticulture.
Research Scholar at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, Md. Abdul Gaffar highlighted the problems and prospects of the Muslims in Manipur in the field of education and empowerment in his paper. He stated that education is the foundation to fight the adversity that the Muslim community is suffering today.
Communication editor of Apeejay Education Society, New Delhi, Mehnaz Nasreen presented in her paper the findings of a survey that she had undergone to study Muslim women’s access to media in the State. Based on the survey, she showed that Muslim women have substantial access to various categories of media, mainly television and radio, to fulfill entertainment as well as informational needs.
Muslim women choose intelligently which media to use for their benefit, she added. As media acts as an amplifier for the development of a nation and its people, media has the potential to bring change and development in the Muslim society in general and women in particular, she pointed out.
Research scholar at the Department of Manipuri at Assam University, Abul Khair Choudhury presented a paper which informed the audience on the socio-economic and educational conditions of the Manipuri Muslims settled in Barak valley in Assam. He said that there are around 1 lakh Manipuri Muslims in Manipur.
Sub-Editor of a local daily, Hueiyen Lanpao, Rorrkychand Singh highlighted the present status of the Muslim women in Manipur using case studies in his paper. He stated that the economic condition of the Manipuri Muslims in the early days was believed to be as good as the Meities or even better.
The community enjoyed the respect of the then rulers of Manipur as the Muslims were brave, honest and hard working. However, Muslims in Manipur fail to grab the opportunities that came in their way after 1950s. They failed to realize the importance of modern education. The womenfolk, due to traditional social customs, remain confined to the four walls of their households. Education is the key to improve the deplorable economic condition of the Muslims in the State, he added.
Director of Islamic Research and Dawah Centre, Imphal, Mufti Salatur Rahman presented a paper highlighting the challenges that Muslim girls face while pursuing higher education in the State. He stated that Islam creates no barrier to women seeking knowledge and livelihood.
Panel discussion
Dr. Syed Ahmed, this reporter, also presented a paper on the economy of the Muslims in Manipur highlighting some of the problems and prospects. The paper noted that the ever-increasing incidence of poverty in the Muslim-inhabited rural areas of Manipur has been pushing many individuals and households to the urban areas. Increase in the population leading to intense fragmentation of land and low agricultural productivity, low access to agricultural schemes, break-up of the joint-family leading to disintegration of the age-old common income pool (i.e., cultivation), lack of alternative means of livelihood in rural areas, etc. compel large number of Muslims to head towards urban areas.
These uprooted rural Muslims are seen staying in and around Imphal city doing all sorts of informal or unorganized activities. The areas inhabited by these Muslims, which look like those urban slums seen in the big cities, are devoid of almost all the civic amenities. The paper also presented the immense economic role of the Muslim women in the State, largely in the unorganized sector.
The paper also emphasized that poverty brings educational backwardness of the Muslims, while poor health and low access to health facilities also push many Muslims to poverty. The paper recommended the need for providing high quality schools like Kendra Vidyalayas or Model Schools, residential schools for girls like Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, and alternative admission policies in colleges and universities for the Muslims in the State, besides developing skills to enhance employability of the Muslims and enhancing access to health facilities and bank credit.
Further analysis on the theme of the seminar was made during panel discussion. The panel, chaired by A. Halim Chowdhury, comprised of Dr. S.A. Latif Shah, A.R. Khan (Retd. IAS), Prof. M.A. Janab and Abdur Rahman (Retd. IGP). The panel broadly recommended that poverty alleviation schemes should be effectively implemented to check poverty among the Muslims.
The panel, realizing the importance of education in improving the economic status of the Muslims, stressed the need for the State Government to provide quality education in Muslim inhabited areas of Manipur. State Government should improve the health-care facilities in Muslim inhabited areas and health-related schemes should be effectively implemented so that the facilities reach the poor Muslim households, the panel further recommended.
The technical session was attended by Muslim intellectuals, social workers, religious leaders and research scholars.
Activities of AMMPWA:
AMMPWA is an apex body of the Muslims in Manipur established on October 2, 1993 at Babupara, Imphal by some of the prominent Muslim intellectuals of the State. The body has been serving for the welfare of the community since the last two decades. The booklet released at the function briefly stated some of the activities of AMMPWA. The booklet mentions, “AMMPWA submitted a memorandum to the OBC Commission to include Meitei Pangal in the OBC list.”
AMMPWA plays an important role in bringing the MSMC into existence with effect from February 20, 2004. It conducted socio-economic survey of the Muslims in Manipur under the aegis of the Directorate of Economic & Statistics and Directorate of MOBC, Government of Manipur. The report entitled, “Report on Socio-economic survey of Meitei Pangals (Manipuri Muslims) 2004” highlighted the deplorable socio-economic conditions of the Muslims in Manipur.
AMMPWA also took part in demanding reservation of posts/seats of Muslims in Government employment and educational institutions. The Government of Manipur, to this effect, issued an order on December 27, 2006 for 4% reservation of the Muslims (Meitei-Pangal) in Government jobs and admission to technical education.
AMMPWA also convinced the State Government to restore the sub-quota for Meitei-Pangals, which was abolished under the direction of the High Court. AMMPWA has, so far, organized various activities like Free Health Check-ups, Educational Awareness Camps, Remedial Coaching Classes, etc. at Muslim concentrated areas of Manipur…The Association also felicitates meritorious students every year. It has opened its branches in many parts of the State.