Shahabuddin's Letter to The Statesman, 6 Dec., 99

Mr. M. Haseen's article "Backward Factor" is largely concerned with the political, economic, educational and social backwardness of the Muslim Indians, as a whole but then switches over to question of under-representation of the Backward Muslims in the 'Muslim leadership  and ends up by aligning the Backward Muslims with the Samata Party. The so-called "Ashraf", who constitute about 25% of the Muslim community, are indeed disproportionately visible. But that is due to historical factors. This can be changed and will change over a period of time, once education and employment reach all those who are deprived today.

The basic issue is very simple: Muslims constitute a Backward Class: they also constitute a high profile, visible minority and, therefore, they cannot win the battle of reservation in legislatures, public employment, higher and professional education, development and welfare benefits in short for Empowerment and Participation, except as a united community. Mr. Haseen denies caste system in Islam and yet divides the Muslims into Forward and Backward. This is not a new game. It is being played for many years by those who wish to emasculate the Muslims by dividing them.

The real issue is not the leadership but the objective: provision of a separate quota for Muslims on ground of backwardness, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu provides such a quota in public employment, apart from admitting Muslims to quotas for backward professional groups.

Is Samata Party prepared to fight for a separate quota for Muslim in the country or at least in Bihar? In political representation, education, public employment and development and welfare benefits. Or does it merely wants to use, Backward Muslims as pawns in its battle against Laloo? The Muslim intelligentsia is of the view that the separate Muslim quota, when it comes, should be preferentially available to the candidates from notified Muslim backward sub-communities and only if there are not enough candidates with minimum qualification, the vacancies should be available to other Muslims.