A lift for Indian Muslims?

By John Cheeran
No praise is enough for former Union Minister Arif Mohammed Khan for his edit page essay in the Times of India earlier this month. It is tough for a non-Muslim to criticize Muslims and escape the tag of anti-Islam.
In this case, an honest analysis of Muslim community has come from an eminent Muslim and that should be mandatory reading for all Indian Muslims.
I have maintained that if Muslims are finding themselves in the last rung of social ladder, the blame is entirely of Muslim community’s. It is not the fault of the majority; it is not the fault of other minorities. In plain terms Hindus and Christians are not responsible for Muslim woes.
Muslims are clamoring for job reservations in the wake of Justice Sachar Committee Report that identified that Muslims are top of the chart in the case of prison inmates only. And there are serious efforts on the part of Union Government to uplift Indian Muslims.
And how do you do that? Give reservation for Muslims too.
A bit of backgrounder is needed when discussing the politics of reservation in India.
Everyone knows that Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India enjoy 18 per cent reservation in government jobs.
And that is essentially a reservation for Hindus, for 99 per cent of SCs and STs are Hindus.
It has to be said in no uncertain terms that reservation for SCs and STs are clearly an effort to appease Hindu sentiments especially when those SCs and STs who switch over to Christianity and Islam are ineligible for the reservation cake. Yes, I admit they are backward too.
Even the large chunk of the OBCs, who enjoy the fruits of reservation in India, are Hindus. Well, I’m against all sorts of reservations. I’m against reservation for SCs, STs, OBCs and Muslims. Yes, Christians too.
Why I salute Arif Mohammed Khan is that he has been bold enough to say that Indian Muslims do not need reservations, because Muslims already enjoy job reservation.
Let me quote from Arif’s article.
“I wonder if those who are advocating reservation for Muslims in services are aware of the fact Muslim groups are already covered under reservation as scheduled tribes. In addition since 1991, Other Backward Communities covered under Mandal Commission constitute 70 per cent of the Muslim population. In fact, benefit of reservation is available to almost the entire Muslim population except the creamy layer.”
Arif points out that India had an uninterrupted Muslim rule for almost 800 years, still in 1882, Muslims were worse off than rest of the India.
Where did the Missing Muslims go then as in 2006?
In 1835, Arif points out that, when Muslims came to know that government intended to start English teaching in all schools, they submitted an application signed by 8,000 moulavis of Calcutta to stop it. Muslims vehemently opposed the new system of education believing that the philosophy and logic taught in English was at variance with the tenets of Islam. They looked upon the study of English as little less than embracing of Christianity.”
It is also remarkable that Arif has quoted what Maulana Azad said on October 23, 1947.
For Azad warned: ”There is no use recounting the events of past seven years, nor will it serve any good. Yet it must be stated that debacle of Indian Muslims is the result of colossal blunders committed by Muslim League’s misguided leadership. Now that Indian politics has taken a new direction, there is no place in it for Muslim League.”
In 1947, Maulana Azad said that India has no place for Muslim League.
In 2006, the rump of Muslim League, the merchants of the Muslim votes, is feasting on biriyani in Kerala and sharing power with the Congress at Centre.
Is the lot of Muslims any better in Kerala with Muslim League?