A two-day meeting of cadres working among the minorities organised by the National Executive's Committee on Minorities Problems held at Hyderabad on June 12-13, 1999, reviewed the emerging trends in the minorities, particularly the Muslims and decided to focus on the socio-economic demands of the minorities. The meeting were conducted by a presidium consisting of Dr. Raj Bahadur Gour (AP), Azeez. Pasha (AP) and S.M. Dawood (Tamilnadu).

Background Note -Extracts.

Indian Muslims that constitute over 12.6 per cent of the country's population are on a crossroad. Since independence, two events - liberation of Bangladesh in 1970 and demolition of Babari Masjid in December1992 - had deep impact on their psyche. Till 1967, the Indian Muslims, with a sense of guilt for the partition of the country had been generally siding with the ruling party. The core issue, in these years had been the security of life and property.

During the 1967 Lok Sabha poll, for the first time, a number of Muslim organisations came together and presented a nine-point charter of demand. This auracted large number of Muslims and they, for the first time voted against the ruling Congress. Incidentally, these were the first elections when Congress was dislodged from power in nine states of the country ...

The break-up of Pakistan had very great impact on the Muslim psyche and in a way, it alienated them from their concern for Pakistan. They lost all hopes of having any escape route via Pakistan ... This alienation from Pakistan further got strengthened as the incidents of atrocities against Urdu-speaking migrants in Karachi and (elsewhere in) Sindh grew in number ... In a way, it is a positive change.

But the sense of exclusiveness, definitely a negative phenomenon, breeds separatism and religious fundamentalism and also provides a breeding ground for the community leaders to project the, community as a political monolith ...

... During the past two decades we have seen issues like discrimination against Urdu, minority character of Aligarh Muslim University and fear of interference in the Muslim Personal Law dominated the Muslim political thought process. Of course, the communal riots and consequent urge for security of life and property was always a living issue.

The agitation against the Supreme Court verdict in Shah Bano Case granting alimony to the divorced Muslim women under Section 125 of Cr. P.C. was the biggest ever-Muslim agitation in independent India ... Rajiv Gandhi, for securing the vote bank of both the major communities, Hindus and Muslims, surrendered to the communalists and fundamentalists on both sides. On the one hand, he agreed to legislate a separate law for Muslim divorcee and on the other opened the locks of the disputed Babari Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi complex at Ayodhya, To ensure its grip on both the communities, Congress floated Babari Masjid Action Committee (sic) as well as Ram Janmabhoomi Mukti Sangharsh Samiti ... Soon the agitation slipped out of its hand and was taken over by rabid communal forces.

The demolition of Babari Masjid on December 6,1992 hurt the Muslim psyche very strongly. Thought he Hindutva Brigade led by RSS-BJP carried out the demolition, a Congress government was in power at the Centre, which failed to ... protect ... structure.

The demolition, the ghastliest communal riots, which followed ... and the serial bomb blasts in Bombay in March 1993 are all part of the same episode. The failure of the state and political parties to protect the mosque at Ayodhya shattered their confidence in the political system including the concept of secularism and it strengthened their exclusiveness. Congress was (seen as) equally responsible for the demolition of Babari Masjid ... On the other hand, it has given rise to the feeling that the community has to depend on itself for its protection as well as economic betterment (and) its educational status ... The-documents adopted at a recently held Convention for Empowerment of Muslims in India (New Delhi, May 8-9. 1999) details this change in Muslim attitude towards education. Besides, more socio-economic demands are now being raised. It is a positive shift. Simultaneously, religious fundamentalism and communal extremism bordering on self-destructive militancy is also gaining ground.

Power passing into the hands of the coalition led by the BJP has once again frightened the Muslim community. The attempts to terrorise the minorities, attacks on Christians and saffronising the education have deep impact on the community as a whole. There is great deal of renewed interest in the politics of the country. The need to be with the secular forces and strengthen them is quite visible ...

... The CPI ... in 1975 in Hyderabad ... formulated five demands. They included a quota system in government services to undo the discrimination ... practiced against Muslims, recognition of Urdu as a minority language ... recognition of Muslims professional communities as backward communities on par with (similar) communities in the majority community, special efforts for providing better housing facilities to Muslims and establishment of a statutory minorities commission.

... After 24 years, we find that some of these demands have been, though partially, achieved.

Decisions:

1. Concrete steps to end discrimination (against) minorities in the matter of services, state public sector, police and other security and administrative agencies. Statutory powers to Minorities Commission in this regard or other steps under provisions of Article 16(4) of the Constitution.

2. Full implementation of Mandal Commission's recommendations, inclusion of left-out professional groups in State and Central lists of beneficiaries, extension of all benefits to all eligible Muslim professional communities.

3. Steps to give more resources to Minority Finance Corporation ... Financial assistance by scheduled banks and other financial institutions to Muslims for self-employment.

4. Removal of all hurdles in the way of promotion of education among Muslims, particularly girl child. Recognition of minority educational institutions and provision of grant without discrimination.

5. Recognition of Urdu under Articles 345 or347 of the Constitution.

(Source: The New Age, 20-26 June, 1999)