MY FACTS, a Guwahati based Muslim pressure group, puts forward their demands.
By Sofiul Islam Khan,
We are keenly observing the current development in the political scenario of Assam. It’s likely that AIUDF will join the Congress led coalition Government shortly. Though the ruling Congress Government denied such possibilities but we can’t rule it out as the general elections are coming next year.
A political party which claims to represent the aspiration and mandate of the weaker section of the society, specially the Muslims, the development is welcome news for the people of Assam in general and Muslims in particular. However, as the support and unconditional faith of the Muslim community of Assam is the main driving force of the political rise of AIUDF, the power sharing of the party with the ruling Congress party should not be based on some mere political equation of number of berths in the cabinet only. The formation of coalition should be based on the conditions of some long cherished demand of the Muslims of Assam.
Vegetable Mandi in Nawgaon
As a Pressure Group of the Muslim community, MY-FACTS, the forum of Muslim intellectuals and professionals requests both the parties to incorporate the following demands of the Muslim community as some of the pre-conditions for the coalition.
We understand that the decision for the coalition is an internal matter of the party; however, one should not forget the sacrifice of the common Muslims of Assam for AIUDF as well as the aspiration of Muslims from your party. On behalf of the Muslims of Assam we demand to incorporate the following issues as the basis of the negotiation for the coalition between AUDF and Congress.
1. OBC Status to various Muslim Groups: About 45% Muslims of India belongs to OBC category. In Kerala about 90% Muslims are OBCs, similarly more than 60% in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, more than 50% in UP and Bihar. West Bengal had the lowest number of Muslim in OBC category- only 2% followed by Assam 3%. However, the Bengal Government recently included 30 new Muslim castes in the OBC category and now about 87% Muslims of Bengal belong to OBC category. But in Assam there is no such initiative on the part of the Government, no wonder that Assam has one of the lowest Muslim participation in the government job, programmes, loans etc despite having the second largest Muslim population percentage wise after J&K. In Assam only the Moriyas and the Maimols are given the OBC status. The Ahoms who ruled Assam for over 600 years can be a backward class, the Muslim converts or progenies of the mixed parentage the ‘Goriyas’ are regarded as ‘General’. Similarly, another ruling ethnic group the Koch-Rajbongshis are OBC but the Rajbongshi converts the ‘Deshi’ Muslims are regarded as General. Again, the Moriya artisans are given the OBC status but the Bengali Muslim weavers the ‘Julaha’ and other artisan class are kept outside OBC status. Similarly, the Muslim fishermen community of the Barak valley the ‘Maimol’ is given OBC status but the Muslim fishermen communities of Brahmaputra valley like the ‘Datiya’ etc are not given OBC status. Therefore, we demand the inclusion of various Muslim backward classes in the OBC net should be a primary condition for the alliance. The percentage of Muslim OBCs in Assam is shockingly low (3%) which should be brought at least up to National average (45%).
2. Brahmaputra River Bank Erosion should be declared as ‘National Calamity’: The silent emergency of erosion does not make news but it has reportedly claimed nearly 4,000 square kilometers of land, destroying more than 2,500 villages and displacing over five million people in Assam. According to a recent study by Archana Sarkar of the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) and RD Garg and Nayan Sharma of IIT-Roorkee, 1,053 sq. km. was lost to erosion between 1990 and 2008. The ‘Displaced’ Muslims are often targeted as ‘illegal Bangladeshi’. Therefore, we demand that one of the prime condition for the coalition should be the declaration of River Bank Erosion as ‘National Calamity’ and all victims should be recognised as ‘displaced’ and a rehabilitation package should follow.
3. The root of all problems of Muslims is lack of education: According to 2001 Census, the literacy rate of Assam is 63.25%. (Male-71%, Female-54.61%). However, the literacy rate of Muslims in Assam is only 48.4%. And the literacy rate of our female is pathetically low, only 40%. In Char areas it is as low as 17%. Lack of education is the main reason of overall backwardness of the community and its consequent exploitation. As the performance of SSA in Muslim concentrated areas is not at per with other areas, therefore, a special approach is the need of the hour under the RTE Act. We demand for a Special Purpose Vehicle under SSA in the line of MAEF (Maulana Azad Education Foundation), in collaboration with reputed NGO to ensure the result oriented action. Special focus on Muslim women’s education should be the priority of the Government. Boat School in Char areas can be an option to bring education at the door step. For an overall growth of the community through universal and quality education, we demand – 1. Four minorty Universities at Karimganj, Sivasagar, Nagaon and Goalpara in the line of AMU or Jamia Millia Islamia. 2. One English Medium School in every Muslim concentrated Block. 3. One JNV in every Muslim Concentrated sub-division. 4. One ITI in every Muslim concentrated block and one ITI for Girls in every Muslim concentrated Sub-division. 5. Immediate appointment of Urdu/Arabic teacher in all high/medium school. ‘Priority’ should be given to Muslim candidate in case of appointment in the Government aided ‘Maqtab/Madrassa’. 6. A campus of Jamia Milia’s Media school in Guwahati.
4. Assam Minorities Development & Finance Corporation: The Corporation has failed to deliver so far and now it’s almost defunct due to financial crunch. On the other hand, According to 2001 census, work participation rate of Muslims of Assam is one of the lowest in India which is 29.1%. This means more than 70% Muslim population are not having a regular employment. We demand for a total revamp of the Corporation with the creation of a corpus fund by the Government. The newly created fund will be professionally utilized by tying up with a reputed micro-credit NGO, for livelihood promotion of the Muslims and other minorities.
5. Assam State Minority Commission: The Government of Assam though created a Minority Commission many years back as an eye wash to the minority communities. Since its inception the Commission is not functional due to lack of rules and delegation of power. We demand the Commission not only to be functional but it should be made powerful enough to act as a watchdog especially in terms of implementation of policies related to minority communities.
6. Revamping of Wakf Board: Wakf Board has an estimated property of Rs 40,000 Cr, if managed properly, the Board can not only be a self sustained entity but also can fund various community run welfare projects and schemes. Like, the Wakf Board of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka etc run various educational institutions and scholarship programmes for the community. However, the Wakf Board of Assam over the years has become the last resort of some failed politicians of the ruling party. We demand a total revamping of the Board and more accountability of its activities.
Worried man for the future months after the Bodo-Muslim clash in Gosaigaon, Kokrajhar.
7. Small and Cottage Industry Cluster and Poverty Alleviation: Though the Muslim districts of Assam have the cheapest labour perhaps in the world, but industrially these districts are most backward some of which like Dhubri is a zero industry district. We demand a special industrial policy for minority concentrated districts with suitable subsidies. We also demand, the Government to declare some cottage and small industry cluster in various minority concentrated blocks/sub-divisions by proper policy intervention, friendly credit flow and proper mechanism for market linkage.
8. Agrarian Development is the key to economic development: Basically agrarian, the development of the agriculture is the main key to the development of the community. Problem with the Muslim farmers are basically two – first, poor technology; second, exploitative market linkage. All other backward and weaker section of the society like the ST and SC are covered under various government porgrammes related to modernization and mechanization of agriculture. We also demand for an independent authority in the line of TRIFED which will work for the facilitation of agrarian development of the Muslims of Assam. Activation and expansion of Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism and buy back system by the State Government should be focused on. More FCI reach in Muslim areas should be a priority. The independent authority can also promote corporate farming. Similarly, fresh water fisheries are always managed by the Muslims. Therefore, a number of villages in Barak valley as well as in lower Assam can be declared as fisheries cluster for well organized integrated fisheries programme. The fisheries clusters can be declared as EPZ and focus can be given on ornamental fishes in association with MPEDA.
Hope the concerned parties will respect the long cherished demands of the Muslims of Assam and will achieve million hearts.
Sofiul Islam Khan
On behalf of MY FACTS
(Muslim Youths Forum Against Communalism, Terrorism and Sedition)
Email: [email protected]
Related:
More about MYFACTS: Assam Spring? The message is loud and clear
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