India Muslims Want Action, Not Words

India Muslims Want Action, Not Words

Getting attention only on election season, Muslim leaders complain that promises of improving the living conditions of the community are never translated into action.

“We need action, not tall promises to empower Muslims by giving them reservation in legislatures, parliament and government jobs and ensuring justice for innocent Muslim youth, languishing in jails without trial for years,” Maulana Arshad Madni, president of the Jamiat-Ulema Hind, was quoted as saying by IANS.

Madni was speaking Saturday, February 23, at a meeting of over 10,000 Muslim scholars who had gathered at Talkotra Indoor Stadium to voice concern over growing communalism and denial of Muslim rights.

The event was attended by key government officials, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Jamiat Ahle Hadees chief Asghar Ali Imam Mehdi and Jamat Islami leader Intizar Naim were among attendants.

India prepares for general election in 2014.

The Congress Party, which runs the federal government in New Delhi, was dealt a heavy blow by Muslim voters in last year’s regional election in Uttar Pradesh.

Muslim voters massively cast ballot for regional Samajwadi Party, while the party came fourth.

There are some 140 million Muslims in Hindu-majority India and they have long complained of being discriminated against in all walks of life.
Muslims complain of decades of social and economic neglect and oppression.

Official figures reveal Muslims log lower educational levels and higher unemployment rates than the Hindu majority and other minorities like Christians and Sikhs.

They account for less than seven percent of public service employees, only five percent of railways workers, around four percent of banking employees and there are only 29,000 Muslims in India’s 1.3 million-strong military.

 

Empty Promises
Muslim leaders complained that their community had remained socially, economically and educationally backward for decades.

Madni, the leader of Jamiat-Ulema Hind, referred to the Muslim suffering to the “evil intention of the ruling class and biased bureaucracy.”
He lamented that secular parties have made only empty promises, but did nothing in the past six decades to redress genuine grievances of Muslims.

Many commissions and committees were set up to suggest measures for removal of backwardness of Muslims, but these recommendations never get implemented.
“I fail to understand why Muslims are denied reservation when other socially and economically backward communities were granted this benefit,” he said.

A 2006 report, known as the Sachar Committee report, looked into the socio-economic and educational backwardness of Muslims in India and suggested various remedial measures.

The recommendations included setting up educational facilities, modernization of madrasahs, creation of job opportunities and steps to increase the community’s representation in public services.

Though the Sachar Committee provided insight on the condition of Muslims, statistical data on the socio-economic conditions of Muslims continues to remain scanty.

Source: OnIslam with agnecies

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