A budgetary allocation for the welfare of minorities in the union budget for the financial year 2008-09 is far short of expectations, say Muslim organisations, who recently held a demonstration in the Indian capital to demand a better deal from the government.
New Delhi: A budgetary allocation for the welfare of minorities in the union budget for the financial year 2008-09 is far short of expectations. “This is not at all sufficient,” said Moin Akhtar Ansari, general secretary of the All India Markazi Momin Conference.
Adding: “Before allocating this pittance, the finance minister should have looked at the Sachar Committee report which describes the pathetic conditions in which the Muslims in this country are living.”
About 33 Muslim organisations held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on March 5 to demand a better deal from the government for Muslims, who belong to the socially, economically and educationally backward classes, a category that accounts for more than 85% of Muslim population.
Tehereek-e-Pasmanda Muslim Samaj (TPMS) and National Conference of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR) in their joint memorandum submitted to the prime minister have a set of demands that seek to address the problems faced by the most oppressed sections among the Hindus and the Muslims.
Finance Minster P. Chidambaram has proposed just over Rs 1,000 crores (0.18% of the total budget) for the minorities numbering 18 crores.
Similarly the budget allocation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), who together form 22.4% of the total population have been provided with 3.05% of the total budget.
Government lacking in commitment
Sardar Anwar, who had come from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, said: “There is nothing in this budget that shows that the government is committed to the well being of Muslims who are living in excruciating poverty and are lagging behind both socially and educationally.”
 |
| Sardar Anwar represents Tehereek-e-Pasmanda Muslim Samaj in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh |
“The roots of injustices to Muslims are very deep. With one stroke of pen, the President of India soon after the adoption of Constitution, had rendered Muslims ineligible for reservations in jobs and educational institutions,” he said.
The demand for reservation for backward and
dalit Muslims, referred to as
ajlaaf and
arzaal respectively, is now gaining ground. Muslim organisations representing the
pasmanda samaj or the backward community oppose the demand for reservation for the entire religious community, arguing that the advanced section within the community known as
ashraaf
, who constitute just 15% of the total Muslim population, cannot be described as suffering from any kind of backwardness.
The memorandum also emphasises on the plight of the artisan community (
ajlaaf
) among the Muslims. It says: “Their traditional occupations are in a shambles because there is no policy to support them to compete in the era of globalisation.” They have demanded a policy for the promotion of traditional artisans and their craft.
Keeping in mind the educational backwardness among the most oppressed sections of society, they have also demanded that 25% of the educational budget be reserved for SCs and STs, 27% for the Other Backward Classes and 18% for the Muslims and other minorities.
