By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: There is no division in West Bengal Muslims. All are backward. The Left Front government tried to divide the community over OBC Muslim issue saying most of the Muslims do not come under OBC category, but our TMC government of Mamata Banerjee thinks that reservation should be given in a straight way to the whole Muslim community, said Sultan Ahmed, Union Minister
Speaking at the conference of Teachers of Madrasa Siksha Kendra at Moulali Youth Centre here on 12th May 2012, Ahmed, who represents Trinamool Congress of Mamata Banerjee in the Central Government said: With a special initiative of Chief Minister, West Bengal Government has started a survey among the Muslims. After getting the survey reports ascertaining Muslims as a backwardclass community and according to Indian Constitution, West Bengal Government wants to give reservation to the whole Muslims. He claimed in his speech that, according to Census 2011 Muslim percentage in West Bengal is 26, so, atleast 18% reservation should be given to Muslims. He criticized the Union Minority Minister Salman Khurshid andformer Chief Minister of West Bengal late Jyoti Basu.
Sultan Ahmed
Sultan Ahmed said,Salman Khurshid tried to give 4.5% reservation to the Minority community before the election of Uttar Pradesh. Among the Minority communities enlisted in OBC are Jain, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi besides Musims. So, if government gave 4.5% reservation for Minority, then Muslins will get 0.3%, he said. That was not accepted by the Muslims society, and the results of UP elections have proved it. Salman’s assurance to Minority Community was to target UP election only, not for real sympathy to Muslims. Muslims are not tolerating this kind of assurance. Sultan Ahmed warned, any political party cannot play now with Muslim, If they did they will get the results which Left go in West Bengal and Congress in UP.
He said, `Few years ago, when JyotiBasu was Chief Minister of West Bengal, I urged him after a massive gathering in Netaji Indore Stadium on reservation of Muslims that, Please give the reservation to the West Bengal Muslims on the pattern of Kerala. He told me, don’t play a communal card, reservation on religious basis is not possible, so reservation in West Bengal for Muslim separately is not possible. But on the eve of last Assembly election in May last year in West Bengal,how did CPIM led Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya declare 10% reservation for OBC Muslim.?’
Sultan also said that 10% OBC Muslim reservation was not in proper way. Mamata led government will pass that reservation bill in proper way and government wants to give reservation directly to the whole Muslims after getting the survey report as all Muslims are backward in West Bengal.
He appealed to Muslim to organize meeting on reservation in the light of Andhra, Kerala reservation. “Sultan will reach the message of Muslim as a `peon of Muslim community’ to the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.”
Sultan also claimed, this is first time in West Bengal when a Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee goes to the Muslims for their Development, she thinksbetter, Minority Ministry is in her own hands. So, Mamatahas already given Rs 33 cr to State Waqf board to given to Imams of West Bengal.
About the Madrasa Shisha Kendra (MSK) under the SarvoSikshaAbhiyan, he said, government will think about the MSK. But it is fact, some MSKs have no infrastructure but he was silent on why Mamatagovt not opening more MSKs.
All Bengal Minority Council had called that conference of the Teachers of MSK. Secretary of All Bengal Minority Council MdKamruzzaman said, “In the month of February of 2011 Left Front government recognised 139 Madrasa Siksha Kendra (MSK) &SishuSiksha Kendra(SSK), but 138 teachers of MSK have not yet got appointment letter till now.
Kamruzzaman also said, Minority Affairs department of previous left front Government accepted application of both Senior & Junior type 300 MSK and 200 SishuSikhsha Kendra (SSK). After the visit of Government official only 100 Sr&Jr type MSK and 39 SSK were recognized. He said his Council wants recognition of the rest also.
They placed demands before Sultan Ahmed:
1. Immediate appointment letter to the138 Sr&Jr type MSK and SSK from the present government.
2. Government should allocate Mid-day meal & Uniform, Books to that all 138 Madrasa.
3. Recognition to Left Front Government declared MSKs and SSKs
4. To maintain normal works in district Minority Office, at least one WBCS (West Bengal Civil Service) officer should be placed in every district.
5. Government should conduct training for all MSK & SSK teachers.
Beside the Minister, other personalities present in the conference included State Minority Commission Chairman Entaj Ali Shah, MaulanaSharful Amin, State chairman of Trinamul Congress Minority cell Advocate Idris Ali, leader of the MSK teacher organization Abdul Momen, EducationistJahidulSarkar, Minority council president Salauddin Ahmed.