By Zaidul Haque for TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Muslims should be given 20% reservation in West Bengal, demanded the Jamiat Ulema-e Hind in Kolkatta yesterday. The organization made the demand at a massive programme held in the city marking the beginning of its Jail Bharo Andolan demanding reservation for Muslims in government services according to their population ratio. At least 313 people got arrested in the self-will arrest campaign led by the national president Quari Muhammed Usman, Abdul Majid, Moulana Siddiqullah Choudhary, etc. The campaign which began in Kolkata will reportedly cover the whole country.
Later when talking to TCN after his release from jail, state Jamiat leader Siddiqullah Choudhary said that the organisation would take to strong measures of protest if the WB government did not declare 20% reservation for Muslims in the state within two or three weeks. The Jamiat would stage road blocks for four hours throughout the state and demonstrations will be held in at least 100 places in different districts of West Bengal at the same time. The central and state governments should implement the Ranganath Misra Commission report. Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerji should present a proposal in the Lok Sabha if she supports Muslim reservation. He accused her of keeping silence in the matter.
Muslims should be given reservation according to their population ratio, said Quari Muhammed Usman at the Jail Bharo Andolan. The Sachar Report has found that Muslims are the most backward in the country. Muslims comprise 13% of the total population of the country. The Ranganath Misra Commission has recommended 10% reservation for Muslims, which can rightly be justified. He also called for all the secular people to support reservation for Muslims.
Since they comprise nearly 30% of the population of West Bengal, Muslims should be given at least 20% reservation in all government sectors, demanded Moulana Siddiqullah Choudhary, leader of the organization in West Bengal. He also criticized the Left Front government for declaring 10% reservation for Muslims in OBC as only two percent of the Muslims in the state come under the OBC category. He alleged that the state government has not yet published the details of the Muslims coming under the OBC in the state.
The programme was supported by various Muslim organizations like the Students Islamic Organisation, People’s Democratic Conference of India, West Bengal Madrasa Students’ Union, Wasi Memorial Society and the Muslim Youth Organisation etc. However, only the representatives of the PDCI (Rabindra Bhattacharya), Wasi Memorial Society (Dr Ahmed Ali) and the WB Madrasa Students’ Union were present at the programme. Noted activist Bacchu Ghosh also attended the programme in which several non-Muslims had taken part. The demonstration continued for more than 2 hours in the afternoon. After holding talks with the Jamiat leaders, the police arrested 313 protestors and took them to Lalbazar, state Police Headquarters. Those arrested were later released on personal bond.
Many Muslim organizations have come forward demanding reservation for Muslims after the release of the Ranganath Misra Commission report. The Student Islamic Organisation of the Jamat e Islami, the Popular Front of India, the Muslim Youth Federation etc have organized a lot of programmes for the cause. The SIO organised a rally in the heart of the city on 29th April. The Muslim Youth Federation has called for a march to the Writer’s Building, the headquarters of the WB government, on 11th of this month.