By Syed Zubair Ahmad,
When Hamdard Study Circle was founded by Hakeem Abdul Hameed in 1992 for the preparation of students of weaker section of society, particularly Muslims, for Civil Services Examination, Syed Hamid, the ex-vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University and an I.A.S himself was very excited at that moment. For him a dream was going to be materialized in few years. Syed Hamid was the Honorary Secretary of Hamdard Education Society, under which Hamdard Study Circle runs. But after twenty years his dream is still a dream and nothing changed on ground level. The numbers of successful Muslim candidates never increased from certain level, say three percent. The former bureaucrat failed to understand the bureaucratic system of India. At that time he was of the view that reservation for Muslims would be a counterproductive and may result into incompetency among Muslims .But now after struggling from pillar to post for the cause of Muslims the bed ridden ex-bureaucrat is advocating in favor of reservation for Muslims in government jobs and education.
2010 Civil Services topper Shah Faisal with Saiyid Hamid at latter’s residence in New Delhi on 6th May 2010
This year when the final result of civil services examination was declared the percentage of successful Muslim candidates remained as expected. It seems it will never cross the level of three percent whatever comes.
After the establishment of Hamdard Study Circle several coaching institutes for the preparation of Muslim candidates aspiring for Civil Services were opened but nothing changed and the percentage of successful Muslim candidates remained almost the same. Surprisingly the number of Muslim candidates clearing the prelims kept on increasing but at the end they could not cross the limit set by ‘Blanket State Policy’. At the same time its policy makers kept on misleading Muslim masses by putting a Muslim candidate on the top of the list time and again so that they could say there is no discrimination in this system. There may be some truth but no one can deny the fact that there is discrimination with Muslims at every level even in judiciary.
Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh congratulating IAS topper Dr. Shah Faisal on 28th May 2010
Despite growth in coaching institutions for preparation of civil services being set up by concerned members of the Muslim community in last 10 years, the percentage of successful Muslim candidates has around three. The table below has data of last 10 years. The average percentage of success is just 3.06.
Final results of Civil Services are announced every year in May. Have a look at last 10 years results:
|
Result Declared |
No. of Successful Candidates |
Muslim Candidates |
% of total No. |
|
May 2003 |
284 |
9 |
3.1 |
|
May 2004 |
413 |
13 |
3.2 |
|
May 2005 |
422 |
13 |
3.1 |
|
May 2006 |
425 |
12 |
2.8 |
|
May 2007 |
448 |
17 |
3.8 |
|
May 2008 |
734 |
27 |
3.67 |
|
May 2009 |
791 |
32 |
4.04 |
|
May 2010 |
875 |
21 |
2.4 |
|
May 2011 |
920 |
31 |
3.36 |
|
May 2012 |
910 |
30 |
3.29 |
For example there is not a single Muslim judge in Delhi High Court or in Lower Courts here from last twenty years while many candidates clear the written test but could not make it to find their name in the list of successful candidates. (There is only one judge Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed in Delhi High Court who was an advocate and promoted as judge. He is the son of former President of India Late Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed).
In fact Muslims have become a sandwich between backwardness and discrimination. Forget about 255 OBC, 157 SC, and 78 ST successful candidates in UPSC this year, imagine 21 physically challenged were selected while putting all category together only 30 Muslims were selected. Keeping in view their share in population at least 115 to 150 Muslim candidates should have been selected.
Yumkhaibam Sabir (right) being felicitated by DAMMS in New Delhi on 5th May 2012. Sabir is one of 30 successful Muslim candidates in Civil Services 2012
A new twist also emerged in this scenario. Since an unannounced quota for Muslims in civil services is almost fixed, no matter how many Muslim candidates appear for this examination and clear Mains. In 2010 a Kashmiri Muslim topped the list and this year 9 Muslims from J&K were selected. It seems to bring Kashmiri youths in mainstream the formula of quota within quota has been created. But it should also be noted what happened in Kashmir because of continuous discriminatory policy of Indian government.
(Syed Zubair Ahmad is a Writer & Journalist. He can be reached at [email protected])