By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Mumbai: Affirming the stand of the BJP-SS government in Maharashtra selectively providing reservation to Maratha community, Union Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptullah has said Muslims do not need reservations, instead, they should be made self-reliant.
Heptullah’s statement – uttered while addressing a gathering of minorities here on Saturday to make them aware of the Centre’s policies for them – has drawn ire of the community.
Dr. Najma Heptullah
However, this is not the first time that she has made such anti-Muslim reservation statement. Soon after assuming the office in May 2014, the Union Minority Minister had said that providing reservation was no solution for the development concerns of Muslims. Her statement, then too, had created a stir and community leaders had criticized her anti-reservation statements.
On Saturday, Heptullah was in Mumbai for a programme for advocacy of the schemes and programmes of her ministry under the aegis of the National Minority Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) and Maulana Azad National Academy for Skills (MANAS).
“How long Muslims will walk with the help of crutches of reservation? Once children are provided with good education, they will be able to stand up on their feet and will get jobs in multinational companies,” the Union Minister said adding , “I have not come up to this level because I am a Muslim or a woman, but because my parents gave me access to education,” she said.
“One cannot give reservation to all Muslims. If 50 poor Muslims apply for jobs and one can give jobs to only five of them, whose children are you going to choose if all 50 are poor and oppressed? My idea is to make Muslims self-reliant and give them a better future,” she said when asked why the Maharashtra government left out Muslims.
During winter session of the Maharashtra assembly last month, the BJP-SS government had passed a bill giving 16% reservation to Marathas, but left out Muslims. The earlier INC-NCP government had passed an ordinance providing 16% reservations for Marathas and 5% reservations for Muslims both in education and employment. The Bombay High Court has set aside these reservations, except for 5% for Muslims in education.
The ordinance lapsed on December 25.
When reminded that Bombay High Court had ruled for reservation to Muslims in education whereas it had completely scrapped reservation to Marathas, she said, “Even though the High Court has accepted the decision partially, it would not have stood in the Supreme Court as the reservation given to the Muslim community was on the basis of religion. In case of Maratha reservation, it was based on caste.”
“There cannot be overall development of Muslims even if they are given a reservation. What is needed is higher and good-quality education for our children so that they can stand on their feet,” she asserted.
She evaded answering a question whether she would oppose the reservation for Marathas too as she said she would not like to comment. “I just want to say that people should be made capable of achieving their dreams on their own instead of looking for jobs based on reservation.”
Community agitated
Heptullah’s statement has not gone down well with the community leaders, who have been batting for reservation to the community based on findings by many commissions such as Sachhar, Rangnath Mishra and Mahemudur Rahman Commissions.
Reacting strongly to Heptullah’s statement, chairman of the Indian Muslim Intellectual Forum (IMIF) Salim Alware said, “Then, why was the Maratha Reservation Bill passed while the Muslim quota was left out in the Maharashtra Assembly?”
“When Modi said we are for ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’ then why Muslims are not offered reservation and reservation is selectively provided to Maratha community,” he questioned.
INC MLA Amin Patel said, “This is an unfortunate statement from a senior minister. I am writing a letter to Heptullah protesting her remarks, which smack of her deliberate attempt to hide the facts. The Congress government in Maharashtra had given 5% reservation to Muslims not on religious grounds but to 50 groups in the community that are educationally and economically backward.”
Another INC MLA from Chandivli Naseem Khan condemned Heptulla’s statement. “She is speaking the Sangh Parivar’s language. It is shameful that she is ignorant about the grounds on which Muslims were granted reservation in Maharashtra,” said Khan.
“If Najma feels reservation is inimical to the growth of Muslims, she should also say the same about the Maratha quotas. We are not opposing reservation to Marathas, but just want that the government should be fair to all,” said M A Khalid of All India Milli Council.
Agitations planned
Ever since Sachhar and Rangnath Mishra Commissions recommended reservation for Muslims to bring them to main stream, Muslim community in the state is struggling hard to get the government clear reservation for the 50 backward class Muslim communities.
Nine Muslim MLAs in the state had objected to the BJP-SS government’s move of selectively providing reservation to Marathas and ignoring reservation to much economically and socially backward Muslims in the state.
The AIMIM, which has two MLAs in the assembly, has declared to start a statewide agitation against the government with its first programme expected to be held on January 6 in Beed district.
Malegaon INC MLA Asif Shaikh is also reported to have started district-wise agitation in the state to express community’s displeasure towards state government.
Many Muslim organizations are in the process of fighting legal battle to get approved reservation for the community, which has been held backward by several commissions.