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Implement Sachar panel report, says Milli Council

Special Correspondent

Urgent steps needed for the welfare of Muslims

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan unit of All India Milli Council on Sunday demanded implementation of the recommendations of Justice Rajindar Sachar Committee in right earnest and called upon the Muslim community to take full advantage of welfare programmes and credit schemes of the Central and State Governments.

Mill Council members pointed out at a State-level meeting in Muslim Musafirkhana here that the dismal picture of social, educational and economic conditions of Muslims and the underlying causes revealed by the Sachar Committee necessitated urgent steps to address the development needs of the largest minority community in the country.

The participants in the meeting noted with concern that Muslims were denied jobs and banks often discriminated against them in giving loans. "The nation cannot progress if a section of population remains underdeveloped, poor, malnourished and uneducated,'' said Mill Council general secretary Abdul Qayoom Akhtar, while citing the findings of Sachar Committee.

The Milli Council flayed the objection raised by Bharatiya Janata Party to the move to implement the committee's report and pointed out that any positive action by the Government would damage the political interests of Sangh Parivar, the survival of which depended on mutual suspicion, hatred and animosity between different sections of people divided across religious identities.

National Integration Council's Member Navaid Hamid said a significant reason for backwardness of Muslims, besides sheer discrimination, was the lack of awareness and education within the community. He said the Muslim organisations in Rajasthan should form block-level committees to monitor implementation of schemes such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Swarna Jayanti Rozgar Yojana.

Mr. Hamid said the Muslims should establish more non-Government organisations to work in education, employment, women's empowerment and health care sectors and float cooperative societies to help out artisans, craftspersons and small traders. Besides, budget allocations should be seriously studied to find out the scope for the community's development.

Milli Council's State secretary Abdul Lateef said the State unit had established three industrial training institutes in Jaipur and one each in Jodhpur and Sikar to impart job-oriented technical training to youngsters. He said the Milli Council was expecting a positive response from the State Social Welfare Department to its demand for scholarships to Muslim students from the next financial year.

The Milli Council expressed satisfaction over the Planning Commission's reported proposal to allocate Rs. 17,224 crores for minorities' welfare during the 11th Five Year Plan. The Union Rural Development Ministry has already announced quota for minorities in its schemes during the current financial year.

A resolution adopted at the end of the meeting also called upon the Central Government to reserve 70 per cent of funds under the Prime Minister's 15-point programme for minorities for the Muslim community. It said while the Government must ensure disbursement of bank loans to Muslims and take steps to promote craftsmanship, Muslims themselves should also establish micro-credit and Zakat funds to help out the needy people in the community.

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