Sachar panel says raise Muslim share, may fuel quota demand

[KashifAsrar]

This is an eye opener for those who claim that muslims in India do not need reservation. And that thier plight is very good. This is the report from the Sachar Commission established to study the minority status in the country. this report appeared in TOI dated 18th November 2006.
Kashif


A BETTER FUTURE AWAITS?


Sachar panel says raise Muslim share, may fuel quota demand


TIMES NEWS NETWORK



New Delhi: The Sachar Committee, appointed by PMO to go into the social, economic and educational status of Muslims, has made a strong case for boosting the community’s share in jobs and educational institutions, in what may give rise to the demand for a community quota leading to a fullscale political confrontation.
The committee stopped short of making a specific recommendation for promulgating a politically fraught community quota, called for ‘‘formulation of appropriate programmes to address the economic and educational backwardness of the community’’.
The focus of the report is on equal opportunity, with the panel using the indicators of social and educational backwardness rather than economic backwardness. Specific measures recommended by the panel, led by retired chief justice of Delhi High Court, Rajindar Sachar, include setting up of Equal Opportunities Commission, promotion of Urdu language, increase in UGC grants to community-run colleges and schools, training of teachers, reform of madrassas and their affiliation to higher education boards in states, increased flow of credit, bringing all districts where Muslims are over 25% of the population under the purview of the 15-point programme for minorities, and enhanced participation of Muslims in governance.
The Equal Opportunities Commission is proposed to be patterned after UK’s Racial Opportunity Commission and is supposed to provide relief to individuals who face discrimination. The committee reportedly felt that the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Minorities were not equipped to address the issue.
Asked whether he considered quota to be the solution, Justice Sachar said that it was for government to decide.



ROADBLOCK AHEAD


Cong gears up for a stormy session


New Delhi: The Sachar report, which was presented to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday, will be placed in Parliament during the coming session, clearing the way for what is sure to be an intense and emotive debate. Though the report has stopped short of recommending quota as a palliative, its findings may be cited to justify the demand for one, putting the UPA government under pressure almost on the eve of the coming round of assembly polls. BJP, which has accused the government of ‘‘ruling by quota’’, will not flinch from a fight on an issue which fits in neatly with is grouse against ‘‘appeasement’’. The panel has strongly justified its recommendation by pointing to the backwardness of Indian Muslims. ‘‘Muslim Community is lagging behind other religious groups in India in most development indicators. The community is relatively poor, more illiterate, has lower access to education, lower representation in public and private sector jobs, and lower availability of bank credit for self-employment,’’ said the committee. Of the Muslims in urban areas, it noted: ‘‘The community mostly lives in slums characterised by poor municipal infrastructure.’’ Significantly, however, the committee also observed ‘‘considerable variation in the condition of the Muslim community across states and regions’’.
The ‘‘equal opportunity’’ theme echoes the Prime Minister’s recent advocacy for ‘‘fair share’’ for the community which provoked howls of protest not just from BJP but also from the OBC outfits who are wary of the possibility of their quota being cut to accommodate one for Muslims in order to avoid breaching the 50% ceiling. On Friday, BJP again prominently shifted into the attack gear with its spokesperson, Arun Jaitley, warning that the recommendations should not become the launch pad for community quota.
While receiving the report, the Prime Minister steered clear of the quota controversy even though he justified the decision to appoint a panel with the specific brief to study the socio-economic and educational conditions of Muslims. ‘‘Such data is necessary for planning, formulating and implementing specific programmes to address issues relating to the socio-economic backwardness of any disadvantaged group,’’ he said.
Singh further said that a debate on the report would help evolve a national consensus on how to improve the social, educational and economic status of the community.







Minority report: Telltale numbers


Sachar Committee report on Muslims shows the community lags behind in most education and job parameters



Share of Muslims at higher govt positions in states where their population is at least 15.4%, is just 5.7%
Muslim presence in lower judiciary is 7.8% in 14 states with significant Muslim population
In education, Muslim OBCs lag other OBC categories
Among matriculates and graduates, Muslims trail the national average by 30% and 40% respectively
In poverty levels, deprivation of Muslim OBCs is 40% more than the national average. In land holdings too, Muslim OBCs are behind Hindu OBCs
Percentage of Muslim inmates in jails is disproportionately high. In Maharashtra, it is as high as 40%, whereas the community makes up 10.6% of the population
There are 9.06% Muslims in Gujarat, but they form 25% of inmates in jails
Poverty level of urban Muslims is 44%, as compared to the national average of 28%
In judiciary, level of Muslim representation in West Bengal and Assam is 5% and 9.4% respectively. The Muslim population in these states is 25.2% and 30.9%
In 12 states with high Muslim population, the average presence in judiciary is 7.8 %. In J-K, where 66.97 % are Muslims, their representation in judiciary is 48.3 %
Only in Andhra Pradesh is their proportion in judiciary higher than the Muslim population — 12.4% as compared to 9.2%. In no state (for which figures are available) is the percentage of district session judges higher than 7.2%. In UP, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, it’s 3.1 %, 2.9 % & 2.3 %
In all government jobs, including PSUs, the average representation of Muslims in the 12 major states is 15.4%. In state jobs it is 6.4%
In Assam, there’s no Muslim in higher PSU posts; the percentages for Kerala, UP, Bihar are 9.5%, 6.2% & 8.6%
In Gujarat, Muslim representation in higher and lower PSU posts is 8.5 % and 16%

 

[MIG_ACE]

Caste based reservations did not work in India.Even after 60 years the SC's and OBC's continue to lag behind despite reservations everywhere.It can mean only one thing..Reservations DO NOT WORK as they are projected to by the Political parties.They are a vote garnering tool nothing else.
Besides Reservations based on religion are not allowed by the Indian constitution.I too feel that something needs to be done for upliftment of muslims.But if reservations dont work what's the use of bringing them in??

 

[KashifAsrar]

Could you please justify your answer with some solid reason and facts?
How Sc and STs are not better than what they were 60 years ago? And how this reservation is not gona to change the muslim status in India? Or is it just your BELIEF?
Kashif

 

[MIG_ACE]

See my logic is simple.If u want the underpriviledged to have equal opportunities abolish all caste based reservations and bring in Income based reservations for all communities. When u reserve seats on caste/community basis what happens is the well-off members of the community who can afford a good education themselves get the benefit of it while the poor ones lose out.I'm in an engg college myself and see this happenening all around me.In my class 90% of the students who got reserved seats belong to upper middle class families who went to good schools and coaching classes and have absolutely no need for reservations. And i've heard similar experiences from too many people for this to be an aberration.
When Babasaheb ambedkar proposed caste based reservations he wanted them for a limited period of time. Its been 60 yrs now and the percentage of reserved seats is still increasing.

 

[KashifAsrar]

Hmm... have some valid points ...
I acknowldge. But then who will decide the economic conditions of the people truth fully. Politics would come in to it as well. And we the know our politicians. A dirty mess they are.
Kashif

 

[Spring Onion]

Kashif that what i was wonderign how will their economic, educationl standard will be uplifted when there is quotas on cast system i asked the same question in another thread but no one answerd.

so what u think is the soultion which could raise job opportunities for Muslims in India. its is understandable that Muslims being not given priority over hindus by employers same is the case with jobsin government sector so what should be done ?
Parties are trying to grab Muslim votes in coming election can that be used to make some solid decisions for their weal?

 

[sigatoka]

Kashif that what i was wonderign how will their economic, educationl standard will be uplifted when there is quotas on cast system i asked the same question in another thread but no one answerd.

so what u think is the soultion which could raise job opportunities for Muslims in India. its is understandable that Muslims being not given priority over hindus by employers same is the case with jobsin government sector so what should be done ?
Parties are trying to grab Muslim votes in coming election can that be used to make some solid decisions for their weal?

1. The solution is to raise the marginal productivity of muslims in employment, which is very difficult but possible.

2. What should be done is questioning why muslims are not hired for jobs, some of it is undoubtedly due to discrimination but some of it is due to the fact that there persformance is not as good. This should be remedied not when such people are ready to go to college or for work (it is too late by then anyway) but when students are ready to go to first grade. They should have access to high quality schools staffed with competent teachers, this is where India is miserably failing its minorities (low castes and other minorities). Im not sure but i think India spends higher proportion of GDP on education than Pakistan but it seems to be funnelled to politically connected urban upper middle class and the elites.

I mean look at the I.T. boom and Bangalore, i think its a stinking shame. Showing the extreme divide that India has, the highly educated elite and few hours drive from there to a rural village you have primary schools breaking apart.

 

[KashifAsrar]

Sigatoka has given quite a balanced answer to you JANA.

What should be done is questioning why muslims are not hired for jobs, some of it is undoubtedly due to discrimination but some of it is due to the fact that there persformance is not as good. This should be remedied not when such people are ready to go to college or for work (it is too late by then anyway) but when students are ready to go to first grade. They should have access to high quality schools staffed with competent teachers, this is where India is miserably failing its minorities (low castes and other minorities). Im not sure but i think India spends higher proportion of GDP on education than Pakistan but it seems to be funnelled to politically connected urban upper middle class and the elites.

Muslims need a true reservation or at least generous help on infrastructure and monetary terms to raise thier educational standards first. But then with out a proper employment no bread-winner can educate his / her children. So employement is also compulsary. This is the only solution at the moment for atleast next 25 years.
If India abolish the qouta system completely then atleast the government must open minority educational institutes in areas, where ever the educational level of minorities is poor than the national standard.
The problem is this at the moment that, those who have enjoying this almost 50% reservation since last 60 years, have already made substantial progress in self employement, business, education, infrastructure, police, judiciary, civil services etc. Muslims are now too far back. they can not come with them even with reservation, in next 25 years. But with reservation, we can atleast bridge the gap substantially in next 25-50 years. This is what the muslim leadership is asking for and they are right in thier demand. there is no other way out from the problem.
Kashif

 

[Spring Onion]

Yes thanks Sig
But lets say there are no reservations than ? what ?

they will take 50 years even to reach the nominal standard?

 

[KashifAsrar]

But remember by that time rest of india would have advanced by 50 years as well! They will still find themselves in the worse situation than what it is now.
Kashif