Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Sachar panel report

This refers to the Rajinder Sachar committee's finding that the Muslim community is lagging behind other religious groups in most development indicators. It is shocking to learn that Muslims are only marginally better off than the SCs and in some cases even worse off. Since the Congress has been in power for most part of the post-Independence years, it should share the large chunk of the blame for the condition of Muslims. The Sachar panel report also calls the BJP's bluff. Had Muslims been appeased, they would not have been at such a low level of social hierarchy.

Kattari Ananda Naidu,
Chennai

* * *

The committee has left the question of reservation for Muslims to the Government. The Government should not only provide reservation to them in education and employment but also in housing to prevent ghettoisation. It is pathetic to read that in urban areas, the community mostly lives in slums. All Ministries should allot 20 per cent of their total funds for the cause of Muslims. One hopes the Government will implement the report and that it will not meet the same fate as the Gopal Singh Commission report.

Ashik Mohideen,
Chennai

* * *

The finding that most Muslims are worse off than the OBCs and other minorities should serve as a wake-up call to the Government. While the Constitution does not permit reservation on the basis of religion, it does allow reservation on the basis of caste and social backwardness. Therefore, the backward sub-castes among Muslims should be classified as extremely backward or most backward classes.

S.A. Nasser Khan,
Chennai

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Muslims have always focussed on madrasas and Urdu. When the British wanted to open a Sanskrit college at Calcutta, Raja Rammohan Roy and his friends protested. They wanted schools that taught English, science and maths. But a large number of moulvis wanted madrasas to be established. Muslims are now paying for their lack of foresightedness.

Mumtaz Ali Khan,
Bangalore

* * *

No one is obstructing Muslims from getting education or employment in government and private sector undertakings. It is for them to come out of their shell of insecurity and educate their children. Their leaders should impress upon them the importance of education rather than just using them as vote banks. The Government should understand that reservation is not the answer to the problems being faced by the community.

S. Dhananjaya Rao,
Hyderabad

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