EDITORIAL

The popular support for ban on construction of minarets over mosques in Switzerland belies the hopes that Europe, the theatre of two World Wars, has laid to rest all its phobias and petty prejudices. The victory of the far right Swiss People's Party in convincing the people that minarets symbolized political Islam is indicative of the ingrained fear of minorities, the source of conflict in Europe for centuries. Not alone this. The vote etches to relief the dangers inherent in democracies turning majoritarian in absence of tolerance of the other, the minor, the less powerful and the different ones. Mercifully, the vote was not backed by the ruling party which however is bound to respect the outcome of the referendum as desired under the Swiss Constitution and enact soon an appropriate law to the effect. That only four of the 150 mosques catering to the four lakh Muslims in the country have minarets is quite beside the point. What is important is that a country home to several human rights bodies and host to innumerable conclaves to protect the civil liberties is being cowed down to enact an extremely intolerant piece of legislation for the statute book under a popular vote. It only reinforces the fear that remnants of bigotry, racism and xenophobia are still sufficiently virile in European society to be triggered into popular rejection of the symbols of religions traditionally considered un-European and in negating the spirit of accommodation.

The Swiss ban on minarets only adds a new angle to the rising tide of Islamophobia in Europe where only recently headscarves were banned in France's government schools, veil was held a hindrance in interaction by a British minister, a Hijab observing woman was murdered in a Court of law in full public view in Germany, a newspaper hurled abuses against the holiest personality of Islam and Dutch MP Geert Wilders making a film reviling Islam in Holland.

It is however a matter of satisfaction that except for the latest Swiss move, the larger European society has been quite accommodative of the symbols of Islam. The fact that Islam is now recognized as the second largest faith in France, Austria and Holland; Muslim schools in Britain receive government funding; the UK and France have helped diverse strands of Islamic groups to band themselves under larger umbrella bodies to deal effectively with their issues; and Muslim workers are allowed off from work on days of religious significance and Islam is taught officially in schools serve to indicate that Governments do recognize the need to avoid alienation of their Muslim citizens who are there as part of their own colonial legacy.

But the latest turn of events in Switzerland makes it evident that the hate-mongers and peddlers of pet phobias like the private media and political parties espousing ethno-nationalism could still tie the official hands and poison the public discourse. In the emerging scenario, any agitational approach by the minuscule Muslim communities across Europe would be detrimental to their own integration with the European societies. They would need to work through the democratic channels to impress upon these extremists the need to jettison chauvinism and bigotry and work for harmonious blending of Islam with European ethos even while keeping under check reactionaries from within their own ranks.

The recommendation to reserve 15 per cent seats in educational institutions and jobs in Central and State Governments for minorities—who constitute nearly 18 per cent of people—must be hailed as a landmark plea towards ensuring justice to a very vital component of the population. The National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities deserves encomium for having voiced what everyone else was afraid of saying. It was evident from the manner the Report was hastily tabled in the dying hours of the winter session of the Lok Sabha on December 18. Though the recommendations were known since the report was presented to the Government in 2007, the tabling would trigger the debate on an issue that has been kept away from the public fora and frank discussion.

The Commission’s plea to delink the quota from the question of religion and make economic criteria the lone basis for reservation is bound to provoke debate and controversy. The recommendation to the effect that SC status be made religion-neutral also carries much potential for criticism.

It will be rather an understatement to say that Commission’s recommendation for giving 10 per cent reservation to Muslims– out of the 15 per cent for religious minorities – is extremely bold, given its scope for backlash from the known quarters. The BJP is all likely to see ‘Minority appeasement’ whenever the recommendations see any substantial realization. But that goal might still be quite distant for at least the largest minority, namely Muslims. Even a token quota does not seem to be on the anvil any time soon. What they could currently satisfy themselves is that their old plea for being on par (or even worse) with Dalits going by the socio-economic and educational parameters, has received some official legitimacy. They would need to build upon it through active canvassing, pleading for the same to be written into the party manifestos and constant refrain in the media. Care would have to be taken against provoking communal sentiments.

Unfortunately, the debate on reservation and affirmative action has always been skewed within the nation. It is a travesty of fact to say that the Constitution precludes the element of religion from reservation in India. The very fact that communities who owe their affiliation to Hindu fold merely deserve the SC status is in itself an admission that religion is not altogether excluded, though caste is certainly the major criteria. If religion was the basis for keeping the Dalits of other religions outside the realm of reservation, it could also provide the basis for their inclusion now.

The Mishra Commission’s recommendation are a major breakthrough in terms of a public discourse in that few had the gumption to be seen on the side of minorities, nay Muslims ever since the communal partition weakened them. The Congress party too has been dragging its feet ever since the highlights of the Report became public. Sincerity of all these actors of the political arena will be on test now onwards.