By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh unit of Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind has demanded 10 per cent reservation for Muslims in Madhya Pradesh in the light of the recommendations by the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission report.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday Haji Mohammad Haroon, Madhya Pradesh unit president of Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind pointed out that reservations to Muslims are already in vogue in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Manipur. The Government of West Bengal has also announced to grant 10 per cent reservation to Muslims. He questioned if a number of states can give reservation to Muslims then why not Madhya Pradesh.
Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, Madhya Pradesh unit president Haji Mohammad Haroon
Haji Haroon said the Justice Sachar Committee and Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission reports have amply proved that the position of Muslims has become worse than the Dalits in the country. The Muslims are at the lowest ladder of the society.
Haji Haroon, who recently visited North-Eastern Indian states, said that in Assam there are about 40 per cent Muslims who are being denied their rightful claims. He said that the Jamiat has demanded 40 per cent reservations to Muslims in Assam in government educational institutions and employment to better their lot.
He also condemned the blast in Varanasi which occurred on Tuesday and said Muslims are against terrorism of any kind as it is against the principles of Islam. He pointed out that one of the largest Islamic seminaries Darul Uloom at Deoband in Uttar Pradesh had issued a “Fatwa” against terrorism sometime back.
Haji Haroon also demanded high level probe into the malfunctioning of Central Hajj Committee and State Hajj Committees due to which Indian Hajis suffer a lot on their religious journey. He charged that there was rampant corruption in the process of selection of people for Hajj and said the government should make this process transparent.
“Those going to Hajj have been facing problems for a number of years”, Haroon said. Corruption has seeped into the process of sending people for Hajj, he claimed and added that the system should be made transparent to ensure that the problems are sorted out.
He pointed out that 200 Hajis who were selected after draw of lots in Madhya Pradesh this year were deprived of their holy journey by the government on flimsy grounds and many of them were not issued passports to block their journey. The vacancies of seats, thus, created by this were not filled up from those who were in the waiting list. Those people whose Hajj forms were not even filled up earlier but greased the palm of Hajj Committee officials went to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, Haji Haroon alleged.
Haji Haroon said those who are selected by draw of lot for the Hajj are lodged in poor accommodations. “Khadim-ul-Hujjaj” (Govt. personnel to look after Hajis) rarely come to the rescue of Hajis when they are in need.
Answering a query Haji Haroon stressed that all the survivors of Bhopal Gas Tragedy of the notified 36 wards of the city suffering for the last 26 years should be given one more installment of adequate compensation. He urged upon the Group of Ministers formed to look after the gas victims to widen the scope of relief so that all the survivors could benefit. ([email protected])