Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

AIDWA seeks special sub-plan for Muslims

Special Correspondent

"15 per cent of the national budget should be allocated for it"

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The All-India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) has demanded a special sub-plan for the development and advancement of Muslims.

The central executive committee of AIDWA, which concluded its three-day meeting here on Monday, has also sought allocation of 15 per cent of the national budget for the purpose. The funds should be used in a targeted manner in Muslim-dominated districts, blocks, villages and wards. These demands would find a prominent place in the charter of demands that AIDWA plans to submit to the Manmohan Singh Government in the next couple of weeks, the association president, Subhashini Ali, told a news conference here on Tuesday.

Ms. Ali said the decision to lay special emphasis on Muslims, particularly women, was taken after a long deliberation of the AIDWA central executive committee on the Justice Sachar Committee Report.

The AIDWA was of the view that Muslim women should be recognised as beneficiaries with special needs such as proper sanitation, health facilities, educational institutions, including residential schools, and credit facilities. It had launched a signature campaign at the national level around demands such as an end to the practice of unilateral divorce in one sitting, polygamy and granting of equal rights for women in the matter of custody and guardianship of children. The response to the signature campaign was encouraging, she said.

The organisation is also conducting a survey of Urdu medium schools so as to frame demands relating to their improvement. The need to teach the State languages concerned in these schools was also discussed, she said.

The committee also noted that the UPA Government had failed to recognise the growing discontent and anger among the masses, especially women, over the steep increase in the prices of essential commodities and the virtual dismantling of the Public Distribution System.

The AIDWA has also resolved to highlight how the UPA has gone back on its pro-women promises in the Common Minimum Programme, especially the promise to introduce the Women's Reservation Bill in the last session of Parliament. "Barring the Left parties, no party is for it," Ms. Ali said.

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