By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: Muslim reservation is going to be a big political issue in coming days in Bihar, with state Congress president Chaudhary Mahboob Ali Qaiser launching a statewide movement demanding JDU-BJP government of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to replicate central 4.5% minority sub-quota in the state.
The Congress party on Wednesday is holding a sit-in in all districts of Bihar the state NDA government to grant 4.5% quota to minorities from within the 27% OBC quota in the state.
There are two lists of OBC castes of different religious communities – one is central list, the other is state list. The Congress-led UPA government in November 2011 carved out 4.5% quota for enlisted minorities in the central list of OBCs. This will be applied in central government jobs and educational institutions. Now Bihar Congress demands similar sub-quota in the state list of OBCs. This comes within the jurisdiction of the state government. And so the state Congress has started putting pressure on the Nitish Kumar government.
Chaudhary Mahboob Ali Qaiser [Photo Courtesy: 4.bp.blogspot.com]
Bihar Congress president says 4.5% is just beginning
Talking to TCN, Congress president Chaudhary Mahboob Ali Qaiser said he is going to make Muslim quota a big issue in the state. Today he is holding dharan in all districts. He also said the party workers will also gherao the state Assembly pressing the demand. The budget session of the Bihar Assembly has started on Tuesday.
“Congress is going to make it a mass issue in the state. We demand 4.5% sub-quota for minorities at Bihar level also. We will gherao the assembly on this issue. Today we are holding dharnas in all districts,” said Chaudhary Qaiser.
The 4.5% sub-quota has not pleased Muslims and that’s why Union Minority Affair Minister Salman Khurshid had to announce last week in UP election campaign that the central government will raise it to 9%. When Chaudhary Qaiser asked as to how this 4.5% quota will please Muslims in Bihar, he said: “This is just beginning. Muslims in OBC category are not getting even 1% quota, so the fixation of share will benefit them. Muslims are 18% in Bihar and the must get more quota. If Salman Khurshid has said then the Congress government should be seriously thinking about it.”
On BJP using this sub-quota as an excuse to divide Hindu and Muslim OBCs, Chaudhary Qaiser said, the NDA government of BJP and JDU has already divided Hindus in backward and extreme backward.
When reminded that Congress government itself had formed Sachar Committee and Mishra Commission but not implemented their recommendation including the 10% Muslim quota recommendation, Chaudhary Qaiser said the recommendations were just suggestions, they were not binding on the government. However, he admitted that Muslims need more reservation given their backwardness and this 4.5% is just a beginning.
“Their recommendations are not binding on the government. However, in principle we accept Muslims should get 10% quota but as a beginning this 4.5% should be implemented first,” he added.
However, former Rajya Sabha member and a prominent leader of Dalit Muslims, Dr. Ejaz Ali sees the Congress initiative (4.5% sub-quota) just as a political issue which is not going to benefit Muslims in reality.
Dr. Ejaz Ali
Dr. Ejaz Ali says 4.5% quota won’t benefit Muslims
Talking to TCN, Dr. Ejaz Ali said: “If the 4.5% will benefit Muslims only time will tell. It’s more a political issue created by Rahul Gandhi. Congress should first correct the injustice to Dalit Muslims who have been excluded from the Scheduled Caste category by the 1950 Constitutional order.” Congress should first undo the injustice done by Nehru and then talk about Rahul’s idea of justice, he said.
Muslims were in SC quota when it came in 1936 but they were excluded in 1950. While some religious minorities like Sikhs and Buddhists were included in the category late by constitutional amendments but Muslims have continued to be debarred from it.
Dr. Ejaz Ali said that 4.5% minority quota could be constitutionally wrong as it has been carved out on the basis of religion, but at the same time he criticized those who raise religion issue to oppose this 4.5% sub-quota but conveniently forget the 1950 order which on the very basis of religion excludes Muslims from SC category.
This is a mature issue as it has reached the Supreme Court and the apex court has sought reply from the central government on why Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians not be included in SC category but one has lapsed and the Congress-led UPA government has not replied. Dr. Ejaz Ali demanded the Congress to undo this injustice first if they are really serious about the uplift of Muslims.
However, Dr. Ali admitted that a large section of the unreserved Muslims is also very poor and backward and they need reservation but the Constitution does not allow quota on the basis of religion. On why Congress is not implementing the 10% Muslim quota recommended by Ranganath Mishra Commission, Dr. Ejaz Ali said: “In the light of the Mishra report, an amendment should be made in constitution to include economic backwardness as a criterion for reservation, and then 10% quota should be given to Muslims.”