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Finally, the suspense ends. The much awaited report is in. Muslims in India, the report says, consist of three groups— requiring different types of affirmative action...
"...Muslims in India, in terms of their social structure, consist of three groups—ashrafs, ajlafs and arzals. The three groups require different types of affirmative action. The second group, ajlafs/OBCs, need additional attention which could be similar to that of Hindu-OBCs. The third group, those with similar traditional occupation as that of the SCs, may be designated as Most Backward Classes (MBCs) as they need multifarious measures, including reservation, as they are ‘cumulatively oppressed’...."
Chapter Ten of Sachar Committee Report (
Conference on Muslim OBCs A national level consultation on Muslim OBCs was organized by this Committee to take stock of the divergent issues plaguing this section of Muslims in India. The two-day Conference drew participants from different regions and provinces of the country. It included activists from the Muslim OBC groups, scholars who had studied and reflected on the problem and representatives from religious bodies.
There was a consensus among the participants that Muslims were a differentiated group and this should be reflected in all policy initiatives of the government. Activists made a strong case for the inclusion of Muslim groups with similar occupation as that of Hindu SCs in the SC list. The question of discrimination in according ST status was also raised. It was reported that in Uttar Pradesh, the Hindu Banjaras were in ST list while their Muslim counterparts were listed only in the OBC list. The gross under-representation of Muslims in public and also in private sector employment was seen as a matter of concern. The representation of Muslim OBC was even worse. Therefore, there was a need for a separate quota for them within the OBC quota, it was suggested.
While upholding the reservation for Muslim OBCs, one view was that the condition of those currently not covered by the reservation scheme was also pathetic and calls for immediate remedies. Women participants complained how the benefits of reservation were always usurped by the male members of the community. However, majority of Muslim women were self-employed and hence required different measures, it was pointed out. Scholarships, free uniforms and construction of hostels for children of backward Muslims was demanded. In the wake of the onslaught of globalisation, it was held that the emerging situation calls for the upgradation of technology and re-skilling of the technicians. The activists complained about the bureaucratic hurdles in getting caste certificates. They also demanded implementation of the Mandal Commission recommendations in centrally governed institutions of higher learning.
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SC status for Muslim groups While the Ashrafs and the Ajlafs occupy the highest and the middle positions in the Muslim social structure, the Arzals are the lowest comprising of those having similar traditional occupation as their Hindu counterparts in the list of Schedule Castes. It is widely believed that these communities are converts from the ‘untouchables’ among Hindus. Change in religion did not bring any change in their social or economic status. Because of the stigma attached to their traditional occupation, they suffer social exclusion. Despite this, they have been deprived of SC status available to their Hindu counterparts.
Their exclusion from the SC list dates back to 1936 when the Imperial (Scheduled Caste) Order rejected SC status to Christians and Buddhists of similar origins. Depressed classes among the Muslims such as Halalkhors were included in the list but were barred from availing the benefits. This colonial decree remained the basis on which the government of Independent India, through the Constitutional (Scheduled Caste) Order, 1950, has denied them the status in accordance with the deprivations that they face. The Order, however, has been amended twice; once in 1956 to include the SCs among the Sikhs and later in 1990 to include the neo-Buddhists. Thus, practically only the Muslims and Christians of such origins continue to be denied the status. As a result, such Muslim groups namely, gadheris, gorkuns, mehtars or halalkhors, Muslim dhobis, bakhos, nats, pamarias, lalbegis and others remain impoverished and marginalized. Their inclusion in the OBC list has failed to make any impact as they are clubbed with the more advanced middle castes.
Many have argued that the Order of 1950 is inconsistent with Article 14, 15, 16 and 25 of the Constitution that guarantee equality of opportunity, freedom of conscience and protect the citizens from discrimination by the State on grounds of religion, caste or creed.
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