The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Focus on status of Muslims

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 14, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Focus on status of Muslims

Staff Reporter

BC panel hearing disrupted over language issue

ATTENTION PLEASE The Kurnool MLA, M.A. Gafoor, making a point before the Andhra Pradesh Commission for Backward Classes at Kurnool on Wednesday.

KURNOOL: Unruly scenes were witnessed at the hearing of the Commission for Backward Classes, headed by D. Subramanayam, here on Wednesday. The members, N. Krishna Mohan, A. Subba Rao and N. Laxminarayana Mudiraj, were present.

The hearing process was disrupted when the member, N. Laxminarayana Mudiraj, tried to explain to the gathering in Urdu. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Kapileswaraiah, and his followers protested saying that the Commission should converse in Telugu, which was known to everybody.

A few persons from the audience and supporters of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) protested vehemently over raking up of the language issue. Both sides indulged in arguments and counter arguments and shouted at one another.

The Kurnool MLA, M.A. Gafoor, also protested against raising of the language issue. As the situation deteriorated, Justice Subramanyam adjourned the meeting and retired along with other members.

Later, the Commission called both groups and proposed to listen to them separately. As both sides agreed, the hearing resumed after an hour.

Mr. M.A. Gafoor said that Muslims lagged behind in every sphere of life because of social and economic backwardness. Most of them were educated enough to read the Holy Quran, which recognised them as literates but it did not help place them on par with other literates.

He said the Planning Commission had also noted the poor condition of the Muslim community in India. He said Muslims should be supported without harming the interests of the existing BC communities. Shafakat Hussain, Muslim elder, said the dropout rate was very high among Muslim children because of poverty.

Mr. Kapileswaraiah argued before the Commission that Muslims were a religious group and should not be clubbed with Backward Classes who were caste groups and particularly professional communities. Each caste was identified by its profession.

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