Kerala - Kochi   

Jaleel: panel will make only practicable recommendations

K.T. Jaleel, member of the committee on Sachar report.

KOCHI: The committee set up by the State government to find ways to implement the recommendations of the Sachar Committee on Muslim backwardness will make only ‘practicable recommendations,’ K.T. Jaleel, MLA and member of the committee, has said.

The recommendations would be specific, easy to implement and without much financial burden on the Government, Dr. Jaleel told a meeting held here on Sunday to discuss the implications of the committee. The meeting, organised by the Forum for Faith and Fraternity, was attended by representatives of several Muslim organisations, intellectuals and social activists.

Dr. Jaleel said the 11-member committee, headed by Local Self-Government Minister Paloli Mohammedkutty, expected to submit its report within its three-month timeframe.

As of now, it had no plan to go beyond January 15. The committee would take care that its recommendations would not hurt the communal harmony in the State.

He noted that the Sachar report had unveiled the abysmal conditions in which the majority of Muslims lived in India and also highlighted that in most North Indian States the socio-economic and educational status of Muslims was worse than that of the Dalit community. The report had helped the Left and mainstream political parties to take an interest in Muslim affairs. Until now, mainstream parties were reluctant to take an active interest in alleviating Muslim backwardness for fear of provoking the majority community, he said.

O. Abdurahiman, editor of the Madhyamam daily and member of the committee, said the panel would hold sittings in every district to take people’s views. He hinted that the thrust of the report would be on education, as Muslims in the State were far behind other communities. Employment generation, development activities in Muslim areas and women’s advancement would be among other priorities.

Kadakkal Abdul Azeez Maulavi, president of Kerala Muslim Jamaat Federation, pointed out that though Muslims in Kerala were better-off than their counterparts in other States, within Kerala Muslims lagged behind other communities in education and economic development. One reason why the community fared better in Kerala was because of the inter-mixed living of all communities, Muslims could share the benefits of general development.

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