MUSLIMS IN TELANGANA

MUSLIMS IN TELANGANAPROBLEMS & EXPECTATIONS1Ather MoinSenior JournalistHyderabad.Telangana

CONJUCTIVE PROBLEMS3Sense of InsecurityOne of the major problems of Indian Muslims is lack of security. Riots, communal violence have become a sad reality of Indias life and the majority of the victims ofriots in India are Muslims. They face double edged torture of victimization at the hands of rioters and later by police.

POLICE REFORMS Police reform is an age-old demand of civil society. Police still functions under the laws and rules laid down by the British colonial rulers. The Police is one of the most brutal and corrupt forces. Torture, kidnapping, encounter, murder in custody and corruption have besmirched the face of this force. The fast worsening situation demands a quick re-look at the problems of the Police and how to turn it into a force in service of the people. It is high time various past recommendations about recruitment of minorities in the police force and ensuring a composite representation in police stations is seriously implemented.

LESSER REPRESENTATION IN GOVT. JOBSAnother major problem is lack of proportionate representation in public jobs e.g. law enforcing agencies, administrative set ups and policy making. The political milieu just after the partition was such that made Muslims feel so demoralized that they could not dare ask the question as to why the doors of govt. jobs were barred to them after the independence. The Muslim civil servants similarly were not to be appointed on sensitive posts and extra caution had to be used for issuing even passports to them. The trend still continues but with slight variations. The strength of Muslims in thepolice and state paramilitary forces was deliberately reduced to the extent that their representation is very low.

7LOW INCOME AND LACK OF MECHANISM OF FINANCIAL HELPAnother problem of Muslim community is its low income. Although the economic and social situation of Muslims is not the same throughout India, one cannot deny the fact that poverty and lack of genuine financial recourses are hampering socio-educational development of the community at every step. In modern Industries and trades, except for some isolated instances, Muslims had nor owned large scale industries or business and are found lacking in high entrepreneurial traits. In a group of 2832 Industrial houses each with the sales of 50 million and more the Muslims have only four units. The houses allotted to Muslims by Government to middle and lower income groups the percentage of Muslim allottee is barely 2.%.EDUCATIONAL BACKWARDNESSMuslim minority constituting 15% of the entire population and is educationally the worst off. Any democratic society where such a large number of people are steeped in illiteracy, poverty and backwardness is doomed to disaster. Such a large percentage of backward people will be a milestone round the neck of the nation and their backwardness will impede progress of all. This fact of educational and economic backwardness of the Muslims has been conclusively established in several reports and surveys. The Gopal Singh Report, the Reports of 43rd Round and the 55th Round of the National Sample Survey and the Programme for Action under the New Education Policy of 1986 clearly show that the Muslim minority is educationally most backward segment of the nation.

LITERACY LEVEL

DISTRIBUTION OF ENROLED MUSLIM CHILDREN

MUSLIMS IN CIVIL SERVICES

CIRCULAR IMPACT Backwardness is circular in nature. If a community is educationally backward, it also becomes economically backward and the economic backwardness leads to social backwardness which in turn reinforces educational backwardness. And so this circular motion goes on throwing the community in pitiless poverty. In the world today, educational progress aims at establishment of a knowledge society which creates what may be called knowledge economy where the human brain is the capital Muslim backwardness in education keeps them away from knowledge economy and further pushes them in the abyss of poverty. LACK OF SYMPATHY TOWARDS RELIGIOUS PRACTICES OF MUSLIMSThere are Muslims cultural and identity crises, including those fear-psycho cases among Muslims themselves and the factual ones. From physical look, dress code, religiouspractices and even language like Urdu (which was wrongly taken to be Muslim exclusive) there appears a confrontation among majority and minority communities in the country. There is also the more sinister danger of actual history being changed orimportant chapters being omitted and Muslim culture, period of rule being depicted in official textbooks as barbaric and communal.

BIAS OF MEDIA TOWARDS MUSLIMS AND NO ACTION TAKEN BY STATE

We learn of the most compelling stories of injustice and brutality as Muslims struggle for self-dignity and identity. A few of the images that are shown on television and the reports in the press confirm for us the plight of the Muslims . Regularly it is the practice to show a terrorist branding a gun and a mosque or any other religious symbol in the background so that the normal viewer/reader can easily identify the man as a Muslim, and hence to start cursing the Muslims in general. There are no serious efforts undertaken ever by the State to curb such subtle communal projections in print and electronic Media by means of legislation or model code.

SUGGESTIONS

POLICY MAKING

ADIVISORY COMMITTEE ON MINORITIES Constitute an Advisory Committee comprising of Eminent Theologians, Intellectuals, Academicians, legal Experts, Former Civil Servants, Journalists, Social Activists, Human Rights Activists etc. to evolve the policies for Minorities.Constitute State and Dist. level monitoring Committees for better and prompt implementation of programmes and policies.

18PREVENTION OF ATROCITIESMinorities are soft target of Communal Forces. Now a days they are attacking for being a Non Hindu, their religious structures are demolishing.There is an urgent need to have a comprehensive act to protect them from various type of Atrocities.legislation on prevention of atrocities against Minorities on par with the law related to Scs/Sts.

PROTECTION OF WAQF PROPERTIESMore than 60% Waqf Properties grabbed. Restoration of all Waqf Properties encroached/grabbed/utilized/retained and alienated by State Government is necessitatedReconcile Revenue records of Waqf Properties based on generic documents.BACKLOGGING OF FUNDSBacklogging of fund meant for minorities. if funds not utilized by the minorities organizations and departments, instead of returning the outstanding amount, it should be retain with concerned dept/org for the utilization in corresponding year.INNOVATIVE INITIATIVES

22MINORITIES INDUSTRIAL FINANCE CORPORATIONEstablish Minorities Industrial Finance Corporation with corpus fund of 200-400 crores rupees to encourage micro and cottage industries amongst Minorities. There is provision to provide up to 50 lakhs rupees loan without collateral security.

STATE WAQF DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONTo Develop Waqf Properties, Establishment of State Waqf Development Corporation on par with National Waqf Development Corporation with 500-1000 is Essential.There are dozens of dozens Waqf Properties in Prime locations spread in all over Telangana. It can generate income for Waqf Board to become self-reliant.

MINORITIES HOUSING CORPORATIONRatio of Minorities particularly Muslims in Housing Schemes both in Rural and Urban are negligible.Establish Minorities Housing Corporation with 300-500 Crores corpus fund.

ACADEMY OF EXCELLENCEEstablish an Academy of Excellence for Meritorious Students belongs to Minority Communities.This Initiative facilitates the Minority Community Students to take admission into Premier Educational Institutions of the Country. SKILL DEVELOPMENT ACADEMYYouths belongs to Minorities particularly Muslims are uneducated. Due to lack of Skill Development Institutions and poor economic conditions they are not able to become professional artisans.Establish Skill Development Academy to train youths belong to Minority communities.

COTTAGE INDUSTRIES DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FOR WOMENWomen of Minorities particularly Muslim Community are not participating in economical activities but are interested to work from their homes.Establish Cottage Industries Development Corporation for Women of minorities and form local groups to start Cottage Industries from their homes.

URDU SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCEEstablish Urdu School of Excellence in each District with collaboration of Moulana Azad National Urdu University to rejuvenate Urdu Language.Earmark 200-300 crore rupees each year to construct buildings and for providing basic infrastructures.

QQSUDA & SETWINQuli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority and SETWIN are most neglected Organizations of State .Provide special budget provision to strengthen QQSUDA & SETWIN to develop basic amenities in Old City of Hyderabad and provide technical courses for Old City YouthsDAIRAT UL MAARIFDairat ul Maarif is a renowned Arabic Institution of Muslim World and Internationally recognized for its fabulous job in past.Enhance grant in aid to Dairat ul Maarif up to 50 crore per annum.WOMAN HOSPITALS IN MUSLIM AREASMuslims woman are very demure. They eschew to diagnose with male doctors.There is an urgent need to establish Hospitals exclusive for Women where all staff should be female and provision of special departments of gynecology. SCHEMES TO BE INTRODUCE

HELTH & LIFE INSURANCE SCHEMESLaunch health and life insurance Schemes for Minorities school going girl child, self help group women and old age people as well.Provide nutritious food to pregnant women belong to Minority Communities.

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTHabitats of Muslims are more neglected. Due to lack of basic amenities the children are more vulnerable to communicable diseases.Launch a scheme of infrastructure development in Minorities Concentrated Constituencies on par with MCD project of Central Govt.

STRENGHTENING OF DEENI MADRASASSignificant number of Muslim pupils are imparting education in Deeni Madrasas.Instead of providing Govt. aid to Deeni Madaris provide basic infrastructure facilities in and around the Religious Institutions and one time aid without interfering the management of these Institutions.Provide scholarships to Students of Deeni Madaris.

UNEMPLOYMENT ALLOWANCEJob opportunities in Government for Minorities Educated Youths are very less. They are not welcomed in Private Sector and Multi National Companies. Provide Unemployment Allowance for Graduates.

LOANS TO MINORITIESAs per Master Circular of RBI, all Bankers have to provide 15% in Priority Sector lendings to Minorities.Bankers are providing fraudulent data in SLBC Meetings to stultify Minorities and State and Central Governments as well.Organize Loan Mela at Mandal level in every 3 months to help beneficiaries.REMUNERATION FOR IMAMS AND MOAZZANSImams and Mozzans attain Consecrated position in Muslim Society.Supreme Court Ordered to remunerate Imams and Moazans from Waqf Boards.A Writ Petition is also pending in High Court in this regard.Provide remunerations from Waqf Board to Imams and Moazzans.BLUE PRINT PREPARED BY AN EMINENT MUSLIM ADVOCATE