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'Muslims denied rights, feeling insecure'

Special Correspondent

Role of BJP came in for criticism during the interactive session of a high-level panel meeting Backwardness, unemployment and low literacy levels among Muslims highlighted

JAIPUR: The crucial links between the issues relating to poverty, backwardness, unemployment and low literacy levels among Muslims in Rajasthan and the "sense of insecurity and helplessness" prevailing in the community were highlighted during the first interactive session of a high- level committee, appointed by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, here on Monday.

The members of the committee are on a visit to Jaipur till August 24 to study the social, economic and educational status of the Muslim community in the State for preparation of a report on these aspects for facilitating the Government's intervention to address the relevant issues. The committee is headed by the former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, Rajinder Sachar.

Academicians, intellectuals, social activists, lawyers, entrepreneurs and youngsters participating in the dialogue affirmed that the socio-economic development of Muslims could not be ensured unless the mindset of those in power was changed in favour of treating the community on par with others and stop discrimination against them. They said Muslims in the State were feeling insecure in the wake of a series of communal incidents during the past year-and-a-half.

The alleged role of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in heightening anxiety among Muslims through its actions supporting the communal elements came in for sharp criticism during the interaction. "It is an irony that the Minister in charge of Social Welfare Department, which has made arrangements for the committee's visit, is himself facing charges of encouraging anti-Muslim violence," said Mohammed Salim, president of the State unit of Jamate-e-Islami Hind.

The participants pointed out that the development of the Muslim community was essentially linked with its physical security and well-being. With Muslims facing social boycott in Bhilwara and Jhalawar districts, victims of communal riots being denied justice, banks refusing to give credits to Muslim artisans and the school textbooks preaching hatred against Muslims, there was hardly any avenue left for progress of the minority community.

Some of the speakers urged the committee to provide a proper framework to its terms of reference so as to find the socio-economic and educational status of Muslims in the context of justice, equity, peace and communal harmony. The committee should ensure eradication of the "politics of exclusion", whereby Muslims were denied their share in development, said Kavita Srivastava, general secretary of the People's Union for Civil Liberties.

While A.R. Khan, a former civil servant, said there was no regular monitoring of the implementation of the Prime Minister's 15-point programme for minorities in the districts, Saeed Khan, general secretary of the Federation of Small Scale Industries, pointed out that some banks had declared the Muslim-dominated localities as "negative areas" to facilitate outright rejection of the loan applications.

.The Rajasthan Muslim Forum and the State unit of All India Milli Council submitted their memoranda mentioning the spheres needing the attention of the committee. Other members of the committee, T.K. Oommen, M.A. Basith, Rakesh Basant and Akhtar Majeed, were also present on the occasion.

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