The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : State set precedent on reservation for Muslims

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 02, 2006
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

State set precedent on reservation for Muslims

Bageshree S.

It was based on the findings of a survey of minorities in 1994

Bangalore: In making a case for "multifarious measures, including reservation" for Muslims, the Rajinder Sachar Committee has cited Karnataka as providing one model of affirmative action.

The State provided for 4 per cent reservation under 2B, a category under the Other Backward Classes list, exclusively for Muslims through a Government Order in September 1994.

Interestingly, the foundation for this was laid by the findings of a socio-economic survey of minorities (including Muslims) in 1994. The Socio-Economic and Educational Survey of Religious Minorities had K. Rahman Khan, presently Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, as its chairman.

The survey, which was taken up when M. Veerappa Moily was the Chief Minister of the State, was detailed and took into account various parameters ranging from literacy rate and income to availability of medical care and sanitation. The survey stated that 55 per cent of Muslims were living below the poverty line, and their literacy rate was 47 per cent. Muslims also figured below the State average among all minorities under several parameters such as literacy, presence in public service, defence services and in the medical and engineering professions. It stated that among all the minority communities, Muslims had the highest number of slum dwellers in the State. It also said that Muslims had the lowest level of education after the 7th standard.

`Good precedent'

The former Chairman of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission K.S. Mohammed Masood, who submitted a set of recommendations to the Chief Minister in mid-November this year on minority welfare, told The Hindu that the 1994 survey and the reservation policy had set a good precedent. The Sachar Committee report made an important point on minorities in southern States. It said that unlike in the North, the difference in infrastructure facilities between villages with high and low densities of Muslims was marginal in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. All these States, incidentally, provide reservation for Muslims.

Low awareness

Mr. Masood, however, also felt that there was a large gap between policy formulation and implementation. During an awareness camp conducted by the Minorities Commission in 20 districts of Karnataka earlier this year, it was found that the level of awareness about various schemes for minorities and other backward groups was abysmally low. "In fact there were several Deputy Commissioners and CEOs who were unaware of these schemes," said Mr. Masood.

The recent report submitted by the Minority Commission to the Chief Minister stated, "The commission had a feeling that economic imbalances and wide difference in levels of living of different communities is an important reason for generating communal tension."

While stating that Karnataka had the advantage of reservation in education, including engineering and medical colleges, it said that those who benefited from it were too poor to even pay the minimum government fee. It recommended several educational reforms, including granting of scholarships. Mr. Masood also noted that very little had changed in terms of poverty indicators since 1994, and conditions in the northern districts were particularly bad. The 1994 report mentioned Bidar and Bijapur as having the highest number of Muslims living below the poverty line.

Survey recommended

Among other things, the Minorities Commission report also recommended that another survey, on the lines of the 1994 one, be taken up to collect the latest information on the socio-economic and educational conditions of minorities.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka