OPINION: With Pasmanda Muslims Ignored, Karnataka Polls Can't Be Called 'People-Centric'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that party's victory in the Karnataka Assembly elections is a "victory of the poor". A section of the media even praised the Congress election manifesto, describing it as "people-centric" and focused on local issues. But a deep analysis reveals that the facts and ground realities are contrary to what is being tom-tommed about.

The fact is that the less informed Pasmanda Muslims-the marginalised indigenous Muslims who constitute about 90% of the community's total population-voted for Congress not because of the freebies it had promised, but rather due to the campaign run by the Ashrafs-the elite, powerful upper class Muslims-against the BJP that had scared them. The primary goal for them was to defeat the BJP, and in doing so, they completely neglected the real issues of underlying Pasmanda communities. Moreover, BJP leader' divisive comments only contributed to this.

After careful examination of the voting pattern, it is discovered that Muslim votes overwhelmingly went to Congress rather than being split by the regional outfit Janata Dal-Secular (JDS). However, more than Muslim votes, Madhiga, ST and Lingayat votes contributed to Congress' victory in Karnataka. These voters were on the BJP side in the previous election. People might be seen enjoying the results, but how can Pasmanda Muslims stand in the same row and rejoice after decades of suffering injustice?

Promises With Forked Tongue

Freebies promised by Congress might be beneficial for the common people in general but it will not solve the real difficulties of Pasmanda Muslims. The party has always allied with a handful of elite Ashraf leaders who have seized control of all the resources of the Pasmanda community. Pasmanda Muslims are socially, economically and educationally backward and have no proper representation. Only the Ashraf families benefited as there was no participation from Pasmandas.

From the perspective of the voters, women voted over the issues concerning rising LPG prices, difficulty in managing the household because of inflation while youth voted over unemployment issues and public servants voted for the old pension scheme (OPS).

However, Muslims as a community did not bargain to improve their miserable condition; instead, they voted simply to oust the BJP out of sheer fear and hatred spread by the Ashrafs, who are quite well-off and just want to retain their dominance in the community as well as appropriate all the benefits available to the whole community.

Presently, Pasmanda Muslims lack access to education, jobs, positions of importance, industry openings, land, etc. Unfortunately, 90 per cent of the Muslim population doesn't possess any kind of a particular occupation or any kind of employment in the organised sector.

After grabbing all the key positions, the Ashraf leaders and religious clerics run a narrative scaring Pasmandas away from BJP and its ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). They engage Pasmandas in Hindu-Muslim dispute and project BJP-RSS as the biggest threat to them. They do not let Pasmandas come forward and focus on the real issues.

No doubt women are the kingmakers, but will it solve the difficulties of Pasmanda Muslim women? The women's vote bank played a vital role in Congress' victory in the Karnataka election too. Strangely, compared to other Indian communities, Pasmanda Muslim women's condition is quite deplorable.

They lack empowerment, social justice and even basic education. They are poverty stricken and stand behind even the Schedule Castes (SCs) and Schedule Tribes (STs) in all sectors. The highest dropout rate from educational institutions is that of Pasmanda Muslim women. The difficulties faced by them can hardly be resolved by schemes like Gruha Lakshmi and Sakhi as promises made by Congress.

Alarming Situation Of Regional Parties

The election results in Karnataka reveals the existential threat the regional parties face. JDS was ready to act as the "joker in the pack" because its leaders were anticipating a hung Assembly, but that was not be. They must innovate and alter their strategy now, particularly with regard to the Pasmanda Muslim community. Former CM H.D. Kumaraswami's son Nikhil lost from the Ramnagaram seat, which was a JDS bastion for long. The majority of the voters there were Vokaligas and Muslims.

The so-called secular parties never mention any unique initiatives in their election manifestos that will specifically benefit Pasmanda Muslims. In fact, Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM, the so-called saviour of Muslims, did not release any election manifesto. They all profit from only instilling fear of BJP-RSS in the minds of Pasmanda Muslims, who fall for it and cast their votes according to the instructions of the Ashraf leaders.

The socio-economic and educational condition of the Pasmanda Muslims are going to get worse if this trend continues in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024 and State Assembly elections, if this community will vote blindly under an anti-BJP fear psychosis and without demanding any benefits from the governments.

Upcoming Elections & Muslims

In the coming months, Telangana will hold its Assembly elections, followed by the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The two national parties and the south Indian regional parties will engage in a vigorous battle. The problems affecting the Pasmanda Muslim community have received little attention from any of them.

Will these parties concentrate on the actual issues facing the weaker sections or continue to spew hate at one another? Will Muslims cast their votes without giving the real issues a thought just because they fear a BJP victory, or will they demand concrete programmes for their own social advancement from these political parties?

(Adnan Qamar is a social activist, public speaker, election strategist and a student of law who works for the upliftment of Pasmanda Muslims.)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.