By Rajeev Ranjan Roy, IANS
New Delhi : Over the years little has changed for India’s minorities, with a big gap between what is said and what is done for their welfare, says National Commission for Minorities (NCM) chief Mohammad Shafi Qureshi.
“I do not doubt the sincerity of the government in improving the socio-economic status of Muslims and other minority groups. Still, there is a considerable gap between what is said and what is finally done,” Qureshi, a former governor and noted Congress leader from the Kashmir valley, told IANS in an exclusive interview.
“The nation cannot progress if a vast chunk of population is left in the lurch,” he said. Religious minorities comprise 18 percent of India’s one billion plus population.
“Funds are not a problem. The programmes are in place, but their implementation is in a shambles. Actually, little is done to execute the programmes. As a result, there has only been a slight change in their status over the years,” he said.
The government earmarked over Rs.14 billion for 2007-08 for the ministry of minority affairs, a substantial increase from the initial Rs.5 billion announced in 2006-07. The total allocation for minorities in the 11th Plan has been pegged at Rs.70 billion for the ministry.
Qureshi said: “As the report of the Justice Rajinder Sachar Commission gives us a correct picture of the ground realities, there is a need to give deep thought to the all round development of minorities in the country.”
He said education was the key concern vis-à-vis Muslims, who account for around 13 percent of the minority population in the country.
“Without education, we cannot ameliorate them socially and economically,” he said.
The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government set up the Sachar Commission March 9, 2005 to study the socio-economic and educational status of Muslims in India.
“The findings of the Sachar Commission do not leave any scope for complacency for the centre as well as the state governments. It is their collective responsibility to put Indian minorities on the fast track for an all round development,” Qureshi said.
The Sachar Commission report says 25 percent of Muslim children aged 6-14 have either never attended school or have dropped out. In premier colleges only one out of 25 undergraduate students and one out of 50 postgraduate students is a Muslim.
The report claims only three percent of Muslim children of school-going age go to madrassas and the attributes the low enrolment in Urdu medium schools to the non-availability of such schools in an adequate number.
The poor level of education among Muslims is reflected in their abysmal presence in top government services. The report says Muslims account for only three percent of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), and 1.8 and four percent of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS) respectively.
Qureshi said: “The modernisation of madrassas has to be done on a priority basis. Along with traditional religious education, other subjects like pure sciences and mathematics must be taught. Without education, a community becomes a liability instead of being an asset.
“Other facilities such as health, roads and electricity are also important, but they will be helped to join the mainstream only when they have access to education. They would make the most of all this if they have access to schools, colleges and other institutions.”
When asked how that could be achieved, Qureshi said: “The mechanism is already in place. Open schools and colleges in deficient areas. Ensure they come forward for admission and for this to happen, affirmative efforts should start from the madrassa level itself.”