Ghazanfar Abbas, IndiaTomorrow.net,

New Delhi, Dec 24: With no significant changes in the socio-economic conditions of Muslim community despite ten years of Justice Sachar Committee report’s recommendations came, academicians and social groups alleged that the main reasons behind are the mindset and intention of the Governments for Muslims.

“There is positive discrimination against Muslims and that I am saying with full authority what I have seen during the Sachar committee days and visits to various states during my thirty two years of government service,” Dr. Syed Zafar Mehmood, president of Zakat Foundation of India said.

He was speaking at the program titled “Ten years of Justice Sachar committee report - A review” jointly organized by Socialist Yojan Sabha, Khudai Khidmatgar and Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) at Gandhi Peace Foundation here on Thursday.

Speaking to IndiaTomorrow.net he said, “The basic reason for the backwardness on the Muslim community as well as other communities of India is a systematic defect. Under the delimitation rule 2002 and 2008, it is clearly mentioned that those constituencies shall be reserved for Scheduled caste (SC) where the percentage of SC out of the total population is maximum. On the basis of 2011 census the findings of Sachar committee is that across the country all the major Muslim predominantly constituencies  of LokSabha, legislative Assemblies, Municipal corporations and wards have also been reserved for schedule caste.”

“It is true that there is lack of will from progressive Muslims too but as far as government is concerned just calling it lack of will is an understatement. So the commission should sit and rectify this defect but nobody is doing it, so Zakat Foundation of India we will now go to the court citing these government data and the law,” he told.

Retired faculty of JNU, Prof. T.K Oommen said, “If the government of the day takes a possession that all Indian citizens irrespective of their religious background and treat them equally than the things can be proceeded  but the fact is many things remain in a statue mode and are not actually operationalized.”

While addressing the gathering, retired faculty of Delhi University Prof. Maoranjan  Mohanty , “Even the UPA government did not do enough to implement the Justice Sachar committee report. The two major recommendations were – diversity index should have been applied in all public and private organizations which is still on paper.”

“Second was to set up a National Data bank. We still don’t know whether government has any policy about this yet. Similarly Equal opportunity particularly right to education should be implemented. Without employment and education we cannot bring any significant improvement in the status of Muslims and other minorities.”

“Community must also join a national campaign to implement the major recommendations of Justice Sachar committee,” he emphasized.

Besides them Salim Engineer, general secretary of Jamat-e-Islami Hind, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyer, N. D. Apncholi, president of PUCL  and veteran journalist Quban Ali also spoke on the occasion.

General secretary of Jamat-e-Islami Hind,Salim Engineer said, “Justice Sachar Committee report  is the most realistic and important than the earlier reports as the efforts to reach and interact with the people to prepare it were not done in previous reports at that level.”

“Ironically this is the most politically exploited report also.”

Concerning over the unchangeable situation of Muslim community he said, “Perhaps the political party (Congress) under which government this report was prepared did not have right intention and commitment to improve the situation of the society.  And now the BJP which is in power has had been against this report saying this is an appeasement of Muslim community. Still we hope with the present government will do something.”

“If we see the representation of Muslims in various fields is about 2.5% but in jails it is around 20% and in some jails it is around 40%. And if we add Dalits, Adivasi and Muslims it is around 85% of the total. Earlier Muslims were just socially, educationally and economically backward but now Muslims are threatened too. We are moving from democracy to fascism. This is a threat and challenge to the future of this country,” he said.

Senior congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyer said, “According to RSS ideology a Muslim means Pakistani. Hindus are the majority but the second largest population is Muslims too. BJP says there are many problems within the Muslims. But the situation will improve when you will trust them.”

“Development will not be possible without including all sections. And I am not talking about Muslims it is for all Indians to have equal rights,” he added.

Veteran journalist Qurban Ali said, “The real reason of not implementation of Sachar committee’s report on ground is the mindset.  Another reason is trust to the Muslim community too.”

“Now the situation has become worse since fake nationalism has been introduced. This country is not developing with the dream of Mahatma Gandhi, while with the dream of Nathuram Godse rather,” he said.