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A one-day consultation of some prominent Muslim thinkers, scholars and social scientists was held here on January 11 to discuss the findings of wider consultations held earlier involving nearly 400 prominent Muslims in 14 principal cities including New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Aligarh, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Kolkata, Jaipur, Calicut, Lucknow and Hyderabad. The wider consultation were held in the last two years under the aegis of Henry L. Stimson Center from Washington D.C., a prominent American think tank and the Mumbai based Institute for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution. The consultations were conducted by prominent sociologist Dr. Asgharali Engineer and writer and peace activist Irfan Engineer, both belonging to Institute for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Mumbai and Mr. Amit Pandya of Henry L. Stimson Center, US. A large number of theologians, social and political scientists, religious organization heads, journalists, activists and women participated in the consu-ltations held in various cities.
The Henry L. Stimson Center compiled the findings of the two-year field study of Indian Muslims and consultations in a paper titled Muslim Indians: Loyal But Marginalized which summarized the Muslim problems, issues, mindset, approaches towards their resolution etc.
We reproduce below the excerpts of submissions made by prominent participants at the Delhi consultation.
Syed Shahabuddin, ex MP and diplomat
The backlog on the educa-tion front for Muslim Indians is huge and we feel that Muslims cannot take care of their educ-ational needs. We have to depend on the Government to provide education. Religious identity of Muslims is very important and religious freedom is a major question in India. Muslims have a sense of disempowerment. Muslim political representation in several states is less than half of what they deserve by their numbers. Political and electoral system is flawed and some form of proportional representation must be in place to ensure adequate representation to Muslims.
Ranganath Mishra Commission Report lay in the hands of the Government for three years but no Muslim MP would demand its tabling. Some of them told me they needed Madam's consent before they urged its presentation in the parliament. Only after Santosh Bhartiya's newspaper leaked it out, the Government thought of tabling it. Panchayati Raj system has indeed done something to improve Muslim representation in the third tier governance (i.e., civic bodies) but the Parliament and Assemblies do not provide adequate representation.
Government service provides social status and security to the communities. Former Chief Minister of West Bengal is on record to have said that he posted the available Muslim cops and SIs in communally sensitive places and controlled the communal riots. The preponderant majority of upper castes officials of Bihar such as Brahmins, Bhumihars, Rajputs, Kayasthas invest their earnings in lands in Bihar and have converted their bureaucratic clout into agrarian power. I therefore support reservation which is an urgent necessity today. There is no other way than this to fight the injustice.
Dr. Asgharali Engineer, chairman, Institute for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Mumbai
Muslims are a 140 million strong community and are ethnically, culturally and linguistically heterogenous. We need a central and state level think tanks to take stock of their lot and come out with solutions. We need to work to remove prejudices from the police force. We organized workshops for police officers and men in khaki to remove misconception after the 1992-93 riots. It has worked well and more such efforts are needed. New thinking is emerging from among Muslims and writings of Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqui and Maulqana Waris Mazhari are providing new light to the community.
Hassan Kamal, Editor, Urdu daily Sahafat, Mumbai
Other Bckward communities (OBC) among Muslims must be given reservation on a priority basis. While families headed by Muslim professionals and technocrats migrated to Pakistan in 1947, those who chose to remain here were from the artisan class as they had markets here. According to a reckoning, 62 per cent of Muslims belong to OBCs. Several Hindu castes have their counterparts among Muslims such as Hindu malis have their equivalent in Muslim Baghbans. Hindu Guha caste has its equivalent in Saiqalgars (those varnishing copper vessels) among Muslims.
Since there is no reservation for Muslims, individuals belonging to OBCs among Muslims tend to change their religion or at least names. There should be attempt to encourage women going to mosque and special facilities should be created for them.
Let us explore the possibility of organizing a conference of editors of the vernacular newspaper editors. We must train leaders who are politically conscious but not politically ambitious.
Zakia Jauhar, social activist, Delhi
Benefits of Multi-sectoral Development scheme to benefit minorities in 93 districts of India is not reaching the Muslims as the district collectors express their inability to restrict it to specifically to minority areas within those districts. Lives of Muslim youth are being ruined due to detention of innocent people on the suspicion of terrorism. Several forms of anti-conversion bills and acts are used to harass the minorities.
Maqbool Ahmed Siraj, journalist, Bangalore
Only a leadership emerging from middle class can take pragmatic initiatives which are in sync with time. Our current leadership comes from religious class which has no exposure of the modern times. Modern education of the new generation is the most important and key input which will salvage Muslims from the current morass. Initiatives like formation of Central Madrassa Board must be welcomed. Some people might apprehend that such a board might end up like Wakf Board and may get riddled with corruption and inefficiency. But why not look at Aligarh Muslim University which has been managed well by a publicly elected court and has progressed tremendously. Muslims need to shift away from rituals and symbols to values.
Globalization is unstoppable and irrevocable. It is not by design of some imperial forces but has come in the wake of new technology like computers, Internet, digital cameras, yahoo, Google, Youtube, mobile phone etc. Livelihood issues are connected with the new technology. City of Cairo has connected all mosques with Internet and the same azan is issued from all 7,000 minarets thereby displacing several thousand muezzins from the job. This is where we need to understand how new technology is changing the world.
Muslim women need to be energized and empowered. The Muslim Personal law Board had not taken steps to start pre-marriage counseling centres nor to set up marital dispute arbitration councils.
We need to experiment with a theological college where graduates from modern and secular colleges could be taken to be trained as leaders. Darul Umoor in Srirangapatna near Mysore is experimenting with training madrassa graduates with modern sciences, humanities and computers.
Dr. Hassan, academician, Jaipur
Modern education is the prime mover for any community. One cannot shy off fear if he is uneducated or cannot assert his rights if he is uneducated.
Col. S. J. Quadri, social activist, Hyderabad
Modern education should be given topmost priority by the community. Mosque sermons talk about things above the skies and below the ground. Can we think of an organization which could provide material that is in sync with time for Friday sermons?
Uzma Nahid, social activist, Mumbai
Nobody took notice of the clause no. 18 and 19 in the Compulsory Education Bill wherein it has been said that non-registered institutions may be closed and a fine of Rs. 1000 per day would be levied on them. It could be used against madrassas which have not registered.
Nusrat Jahan, Lecturer and social activist, Kolkata
We should not ignore our own language as it is a vehicle of our culture. The Christian world talks of clash of civilization and dubs us (Muslims) uncivilized.
Dr. Zeenat Shaukat Ali, Professor of Islamic Studies, St. Xavier's College, Mumbai
Education is of course, priority for Muslims. But we need to define what kind of education we need as it is the most educated people in the world who are manufacturing weapons and waging wars. Identity has come to mean symbols, dress and rituals. There should be no fear of assimilation as we are syncretic in culture, dress, food and behaviour.
Prof. Adil Mehdi, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
Muslim educational institutions need to be of high quality. Madrassas should be regulated by a fair legislation.
Maulana Shuaib Koti, Mumbai
Madrassas provide education to unorganized sector and any effort to formalize them as institutions would deprive 70 per cent of Muslims of education.
Ms. Bader Sayeed, advocate, MLA, Chennai
Difficulties in rendering gender justice arise as Muslim Personal Law has not been codified. We must initiate steps to codify the Muslim Personal law. A lot of wakf lands have been encroached. We must approach the Government/s to first give back the wakf lands encroached by the government departments and institutions.
Sofia Khan, advocate, social activist, Ahmedabad
It is essential to bear in mind that a minority cannot afford to remain alienated from the majority community while taking stock of its circumstances while a majority can tackle problems regardless of the minority's sensitivities. This asymmetry of dependence must be assessed well. Muslims must learn to solve their identity related problems by themselves but take help from the Government in development and security related problems. Gujarat Government is not interested in implementing any Central Government scheme which aims at bettering the lot of the minorities.
(This report was compiled by Maqbool Ahmed Siraj)
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