Demand for affirmative action for Muslims on Sachar Report

New Delhi, Dec 12 (UNI) Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha K Rehman Khan, Former Prime Minister VP Singh and a number of political leaders and Muslim intellectuals today hailed the Sachar Committee Report, saying it has given a new impetus to efforts to remove the backwardness of the minority community.

Some of them, including Mr Singh and Dalit leader Udit Raj, demanded that Dalit Muslims and Christians should be provided all those facilities and concessions given to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, as the Sachar Committee Report had proved it beyond doubt that their position was worse than Hindu Dalits.

Mr Khan said he was happy that the Sachchar Committee report had been taken in a positive way by the nation, and now there should be a debate on the issues raised by it.

They were speaking at a seminar on Sachar Committee findings organised by the National Economic Forum for Muslims at the India Islamic Cultural Centre here.

''We should study the recommendations and findings of the committee to find the best possible way to remove the social educational and economic backwardness of Muslims,'' said Mr Khan.

He proposed that National Committee of Muslims comprising political leaders, intellectuals and academics should be formed to coordinate efforts to achieve the above objectives.

Mr Khan said the government alone could not do anything and the community itself should come forward to help itself.

Pointing out that 200 million Muslims in the country contribute to six per cent of the GDP, he said even if they contributed one per cent of it for the welfare of their community, they could transform its lot drastically.

He emphasised the need of creating educational infrastructure as a pre-requisite for any progress of the community.

The former Prime Minister said the Mandal Report on Backward Classes approved by his government had covered 60 per cent of Muslims, and it was now high time for the community to press for its implementation.

He said the lot of Mulsims could have been improved significantly if the Mandal Commission report had been implemented, adding the Sachar Committee would not have been needed then.

Mr Singh termed the 1950 Presidential order highly discriminatory depriving Muslims and Christians from the benefits given to Hindu Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and demanded that it should be scrapped.

His demand was seconded by Ejaz Anwar of the Pasmanda Muslim Mohaz.

Jamia Hamdard Chancellor Syed Hamid in his remarks said after the Sachar Committee Report, there should be a national debate on how to remove backwardness of the minority community.

Mr Hannan Mulla of the CPI(M) said Muslims should not waste their time on the reservation debate, but they should rather demand early implementation of programmes for their welfare.

MPs Ilyas Azmi and Rubab Syeda also expressed their views on the occasion.

At the end of the seminar, a resolution was adopted demanding bifurcation of the OBC quota to benefit Muslims, removal of the 1950 Presidential order and quota for dalits and Muslims in all government and private schools, colleges, aided or recognised by the government among others.

UNI NAZ KD KN2116