Left demands SC status for Dalit Muslims

New Delhi, May 7: Demanding SC status for Dalit Muslims, the CPI has come out with a 15-point blueprint for the socio-economic growth of the 150-million-strong community.

The proposal, authored by veteran CPI leader Shameem Faizee, demands scrapping of the Presidential Order of 1950 that discriminates on the basis of religion in recognising the Scheduled Castes.

It calls for recognising Muslim and Christian Dalits as Scheduled Castes. Similarly, all Muslim professional communities, who are included in the OBCs, be given all those facilities that are available to their counterparts in the majority community, it said.

The Left observed that ''sentimentalism'' is the biggest hurdle in the political uplift of the minority community in the country.

''Clubbed with this is the discrimination practised by the administration in the matters of jobs, educational opportunities and their share in the government welfare schemes,'' according to the publication titled 'CPI on Indian Muslims -- Past, Present and Future'.

CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan released the blueprint in a press conference at the party headquarters - Ajay Bhawan yesterday.

The booklet details the developments pertaining to Muslim politics since independence ''which played a pivotal role in forming their psyche''.

Recently, the Left's ''big brother'' CPI (M) also came out with a ''Charter for Advancement of Muslim Community'' demanding the Centre of formulating a sub-plan for the community on the lines of the tribal sub-plan. It broadly talked of employment and income generation, education, development and security.

The blueprint as envisaged by the Left party advises the Muslims to join the secular democratic mainstream and reject all attempt to communalise their issues.

It lists 15 demands that should form the basis for their struggle in future.

For a fair share in jobs, the CPI wants a mechanism at all levels of recruitment to ensure that Muslims are appointed proportionate to their number in the eligible candidates.

It has suggested creation of special cell and allocation of funds under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan to establish educational institutions in the Muslim populated villages and localities.

It demands that the Muslim, mostly artisans and employed in home-based industries be given special technical education to preserve and promote their craft and cottage industries.

Minorities Finance and Development Corporation, both at the Centre and states must provide money for the seeds as subsidy to the Muslim entrepreneurs seeking bank loans to establish their own industry.

There are several other demands like opening of ITs and polytechniques in Muslim localities, hostel facilities and special stipends to deserving Muslim students besides implementation of all recommendations of National Integration Councils in relations to curbing communal violence and urgent enactment of the law on Communal violence and payment of compensation to the riot victims.

The booklet also contains two chapters on educational status of Indian Muslims and the horrible plight of Muslim women, summarising the Sachar Committee report.

Chapter ''Voice of the Voiceless'' deals with the horrible condition of Indian Muslim women and calls for special attention to better their lot.

In a chapter on Muslim minority and Communists, Shameem Faizee has claimed that it is only the Communists who have firmly stood for secularism and protection of the rights of the minorities.

It details some of the demands that the CPI has been raising from time to time and taking credit for creation of the Minorities Finance Development Corporation, National Council For Promotion of Urdu Language, Moulana Azad Education Foundation and number of Urdu Academies in various states.

UNI