MOSLEMS, MOSLEMS, MOSLEMS

Muslims join hands to seek better deal
By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
http://www.asianage.com/presentation/leftnavigation/news/india/muslims-join-hands-to-seek-better-deal.aspx

New Delhi, July 30: Several prominent Muslim organisations have now joined hands to seek a better deal for the Muslim community in terms of their socio-economic betterment. Clearly unhappy with what they say is the UPA government's failure so far to improve the lot of the country's Muslims, these organisations have come together under the banner of the Joint Committee of Muslim Organisations for Empowerment (JCMOE). Among the organisations that have come together under the umbrella JCMOE are the Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Moemin (Movement for Empowerment if Muslim Indians), the All-India Shia Conference, the Students Islamic Organisation and the All-India Muslim Education Society.

The joint committee's convenor is former member of Parliament, Syed Shahabuddin, of the All-India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat. In the light of the Sachar committee recommendations, the joint committee has drawn up a charter of demands which it wants the Centre to implement. For instance, it wants the recognition of the Muslim community as a Backward class under Article 15(4) of the Constitution on the basis of data that has been collected by the Sachar panel. It also wants the Central government to have a separate sub-plan for the Muslim community, similar to the one already in place for SCs and STs.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Mr Shahabuddin said that in the light of the Sachar committee report, the Ranganath Misra Commission report and the Prime Minister's new 15-point programme for the welfare of minorities, the Muslim community had been hopeful that something would be done for their benefit. "But there are anti-minority forces in the country that want the status quo to be maintained," alleged Mr Shahabuddin.

Among the others demands of the joint committee are reservation in government jobs for Muslims. this reservation should be at all levels and be in proportion to the size of their population in a zone. The committee also wants that qualified Muslims should be nominated against discretionary appointments in the higher echelons of the judiciary, in Public Service Commissions, universities, public sector undertakings, corporations, etc.

The committee has also demanded that the representation of Muslims in state legislatures and panchayati raj institutions can be increased by appropriate emarcation, rotation of reservation for SC/ST, dereservation of Muslim concentration constituencies and double-member constituencies. The joint committee would now like the government to build a national consensus on what needs to be done to improve the lot of the Muslim community. And in order to press its demands, it plans to observe a dharna outside Parliament House on August 14 followed by a huge rally in in early September.