toxic_pus
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Either you have not read the BBC article in its entirety or its the OP, with which you have done that hop, skip and jump routine. It appears to me that BBC story is actually supporting the OP, although the OP is more detailed in data.Well not so long ago around year 2007 I read this article I find it amusing how much things have changed in less than 2 years I guess India can change things round quite easily
BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Why do Indian Muslims lag behind?
and I think the BBC is the most neutral source available.
Allow me to elucidate.
While looking for the reasons behind this so called backwardness of Muslims, the BBC article notes, among other things, that it is the sheer apathy and ineptitude of the Indian state which has failed to provide equality of opportunity in health, education and employment. The article goes on to conclude on this point that, (t)his has hurt the poor - including the Muslim poor who comprise the majority of the community - most. The article has noted, about 4 paragraphs before, that, 31% of Muslims are below the country's poverty line, just a notch above the lowest castes and tribes who remain the poorest of the poor.
In other words, a large section of the Hindus arent any better, rather worse, than the Muslim population, because of this sheer apathy and ineptitude of the Indian state. Poverty has hurt us all - equally and without discrimination. This is precisely the point that the OP makes.
The article goes on to note:
The plight of Indian Muslims also has a lot to do with the appalling quality of governance, unequal social order and lack of equality of opportunity in northern India where most of the community lives.
Populous Uttar Pradesh is home to nearly a fifth of Muslims (31 million) living in India, while Bihar has more than 10 million community members.
UP and Bihar happen to be two of the most backward states in India. In a sense, the connection between this backwardness has more to do with poverty, than anything else, and unfortunately since majority of the Muslim population reside in these two states, the statistics always appear skewed against the Muslims.
The article quotes Mr Rangarajan, a historian, as saying, Southern India is a different picture. Larger cultural and social movements have made education more accessible and self employment more lucrative benefiting a large number of Muslims. BBC then goes on to acknowledge his observation by saying that, (i)n Andhra Pradesh state, for example, 68% of Muslims are literate, higher than the state and national average. School enrolment rates for Muslim children are above 90% in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. A point also raised by the OP, through data.
The OP and the BBC article are saying basically same thing. That the reason behind this so called Muslim backwardness is poverty, which in turn is result of callousness of the govt. That, poverty, and this callousness, have not only hurt the Muslims, but all segment of the society, including the Hindus. The above observation is supported by data, both by the BBC article and, in much more detail, the OP. The states which are as it is backward, have backward Muslim population, along with equally backward Hindu population, while the states which are more or less ahead economically, have Muslims, along with Hindus, living in much better conditions.