Special Report

The report reveals that deprivation of Muslims is maximum in four states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam where 60 per cent of India’s Muslims reside.


It is for the first time that a Government appointed panel has identified the educational and socio-economic status of Indian Muslims in comparison with other communities. Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh was very clear in his mind that the Muslims’ lot must be known vis-à-vis several categories of Indian population. We had eminent sociologist, T. K. Oommen, management expert, Dr. Rakesh Basanth, and planner and financial allocationist, M.A. Basith. Chairman, Dr. Rajinder Sachar provided the legal framework.


The Panel was able to collect the most recent and authentic data. It has to be borne in mind that data is the first step to planning and development of people. The Reservation Act for Muslims passed by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly was quashed by the Supreme Court for not being backed by adequate research data establishing backwardness of the community. It did not per se reject the reservation. It is why the focus of the Sachar Panel was to establish the backwardness of the Muslims and do it in a way that does not raise passion. Use of very sane language is the hallmark of the report.


Karnataka is one state where Muslims have done very well and the State has cared for its minorities almost on par with mainstream population. Its distinction lies in providing a leveling playing field for the Muslims. I am terrified to talk about Muslims in West Bengal who are not represented even to the tune of two per cent in the Government jobs, while they represent almost a quarter of the population.


Our report reveals that deprivation of Muslims is maximum in four states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam where 60 per cent of India’s Muslims reside. Overall, the community seems to be lagging two steps behind others. If it has to make any advance, it has to first clear the backlog. Muslim rate of growth is lower than that of Dalits. Dalits are going to improve further in the next 50 years and their presence on the economic and political scene is going to be felt in a significant way.


Political participation of Muslims has gone down to less than half their demographic strength during the last 60 years. Though all of it could not be due to discrimination, it has to be said that it is partly responsible. Even in an organization like Indian Railways, which employs 14 lakh people, Muslim representation is merely four per cent. Do they not find Muslims for appointment as gang men? Yet, no one should accuse any government, minister or prime minister for this state of affairs.


Muslims have lagged behind in modern education. Twenty five per cent of Muslim children drop out of school by 7th standard. Dalit drop out rate is far less because schools in their areas have no vacancies, they are provided with midday meals. But there were lot of deficiencies on this score in Muslim areas. We found Sanskrit teachers appointed as headmasters in Urdu schools in Uttar Pradesh. Among Hindu upper-castes, one among 180 students goes for post graduate degree, whereas among Muslims, only one among 1000 students opts to do post graduate courses.


Muslims have not been able to benefit from Panchayati Raj system. Spatially thin Muslim population hampers their election to Panchayat bodies. Andhra Pradesh has recently enacted a law whereby religious and linguistic minorities that fail to get representation through electoral process are co-opted as members in the panchayat. So thousands of Muslims and Tamilians were able to get Panchayat represe-ntation. But a more grim picture is painted by social scientist Yoginder Yadav of CSDS who informed the Sachar panel that voting share of Muslims is declining over successive elections. Muslims need to arrest this by whatever means they could. We have also taken note of the fact that several constituencies with preponderance of Muslims are reserved for the SC or ST. Gerrymandering of such electoral segments is also another devious ploy by the bureaucracy. Taking all these factors into account, the panel has recommended constitution of an Equal Opportunities Commission which could be approached by such individuals and families who harbour such grievances in matters of empowerment. For instance, tenders floated by several departments may only be advertised in Kannada language in Karnataka. Perhaps minorities like Tamilians or Urdu speaking people remain deprived because Tamil or Urdu dailies do not carry such advertisements.


Resistance to change and modernity is a big bane for Muslims. Look for instance, the incidence of polio among Muslims in three districts of Uttar Pradesh and two districts of Bihar. It appears that at a time when polio has been eradicated from the entire world, it is only in these districts that all the world’s polio victims exist. Voluntary agencies working in these areas have related to us the apprehensions prevalent among the Muslims regarding to the polio drops.


There are fewer NGOs or voluntary agencies from among Muslims working for diverse causes. Unfortunately, Muslims consider mosques and madrassas as voluntary organisations. We need to look at other communities and learn from them. There are few anganwadis in Muslim localities in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.


Our report reveals that more Muslims are self-employed and their productivity is more than others. If they have more credit access, linkages to market, they could do still better. The report also finds that Muslim petty businesses have no fixed location. This affects their profitability. Perhaps this could be addressed by civic bodies providing place for such businesses by marking areas.


Only through such measures we can expect the playing field to be equal. Muslims would have to fit in the economy of the country which is poised to grow at 10 per cent for the next 15 years.


During an open session, when pointed out that Registrar of Societies raise objections against all members being from the same community, Dr. Abusaleh Sharief said there was no such law that bars registration of such societies. He said one should seek a Constitutional reference from the Registrars in such situation. After all, artisans in Bidriware in Bidar or Nagara shoes in Jaipur would hail from the single community’, he remarked.


(Dr. Abusaleh Sharief, chief economist, National Council of Applied Economic Research, delivered the lecture at a seminar organized by the Popular Front of India at Bangalore on January 15, 2007. Another member of the Sachar panel Mr. M. A. Basith also participated in the discussion.)

Muslims mainly go for languages like Gujarati and Hindi, followed by social sciences like economics.


Close on the heels of the Sachar Committee report, in Gujarat, Muslims are lagging behind in higher education. Of the total number of students doing their post-graduation at Gujarat University, only 5.1 percent are Muslims compared to 93.7 percent Hindus.


There are about 14,000 post-graduate students in Gujarat University. Of them, only five percent are Muslims. And of these students, 32 percent are from the other backward caste (OBC) category.


At M. S. University in Vadodara, only 10.62 percent of post-graduate students are Muslims, majority of them studying humanities, of them only 3 percent have been enrolled for Business Management, while the faculty of technology and engineering has only 1.70 percent Muslims.


The Committee in August last year, had sent letters to institutions across India seeking data on Muslim population. The purpose was to prepare a report on the social, economic and educational status of Muslims in India.


Reacting to the findings, professor of sociology at Gujarat University, Gaurang Jani says, “compared to the 12 percent Muslim population of Ahmedabad, a mere five percent presence at the higher education level is a poor show. Had there been reservation for the OBC students, the situation would have been even worse.”


The survey said that the highest number of Muslims opt for language courses and the lowest for business management course. “Muslims mainly work in unorganised sector, only a few work in companies. It is not surprising that many of them do not opt for business management,” says Jani.


“Even in Arts, Muslims mainly go for languages like Gujarati and Hindi, followed by social sciences like economics because they look for softer options and are also not properly guided to choose a career which can give them returns,” says professor of sociology at M.S University, N.Rajaram.


There is a dearth of good schools and colleges managed by Muslims in Gujarat. General schools and colleges are expensive for Muslims as most of the students come from lower middle class families and students from economically weak Muslim families do not get a chance to get on in life.


This situation demands intervention from the Central government in terms of financial grants, infrastructure development and policy amendments. The small number of Muslim-run schools is due to impediments involved in obtaining government grants as well as permission for opening educational institutions.


To solve the problem, education for Muslim girls till graduation should be made free of cost, apart from establishing schools in Muslim dominated areas on the pattern of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya and primary Schools and professional courses in madrasas.