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Lucknow:
The concerted and sustained campaign to get allocated substantial
increase in the funds in the 12th Five-Year-Plan (2012-2017) for
the welfare of minorities, especially Muslims, has borne fruits.
The efforts put in by Muslim cleric Maulana Mohammad Fazlur Rahim
Mujaddidi, chairman of SEE, (Strive for Eminence and Empowerment),
and trusted band of his lieutenants who orchestrated the whole
campaign, came for all round praise from one all at the National
Conference on “12th Five Year Plan & Minorities” here in Lucknow
at Ganna Sanstha on Sunday last.
Maulana Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi, who is also a member of the
Steering Committee of the Planning Commission, while delivering
keynote address at the conference declared that in the last 65
years after India’s Independence Eleven (11) Five-Year-Plans have
passed away into darkness and gone to the winds and the
minorities, especially the Muslim community, remained cocooned in
the web of ignorance and illiteracy while wallowing in the
memories of their long-gone glorious past. But now, the Muslims
have awakened and they will keep track of each and every paisa
allotted for their welfare in the 12th Plan, he thundered.
Maulana Mujaddidi said: “In the 11th Plan mainly we concentrated
on Ministry of Minority Affairs, (MOMA), wherein we had 3 tasks
viz. 1. To Understand the Plan & Process; 2. To understand the
guideline & 3. To understand the implementation mechanism. Now,
after being okayed by the National Development Council, (NDC), on
December 27, 2012 the 12th Plan: PM’s New 15 PP & Flagship Schemes
we will have only one task i.e. monitoring each and every paisa.
Nirmal Khatri, Member of Parliament & president Uttar Pradesh
Congress Committee, (UPCC), presided over the National Conference
while Mr. Prakash Jaiswal, Union Coal Minister, was the chief
guest at the conference. Dr. Rita Bahuguna Joshi, ex-president of
UPCC; Zafar Ali Naqvi, Member of Parliament; Dr. Mohammad Muslim,
MLA from Sultanpur in Rai Bareli in Lok Sabha constituency; Akhtar
Husain Akhtar; Masood Ahmad and Anees Ansari (Rtd. IAS), were
guests of honour on the occasion. Many important dignitaries,
academicians, social activists, NGOs and delegates from all over
India participated in the programme.
Meanwhile, in an emotional outburst Maulana Mujaddidi said: “Abhi Tak Muslaman Bheek Mangta Raha Magar Ab Main Usko Apna Qanooni Huq
Dilwakar Rahoonga. 12th Plan Mein Jo Kuch Mila Hai Uska Hisab Liya
Jaega Aur Jo Kuch Nahin Milsaka Uske Liye Hamara Ehtajaaj Chalta
Rahega”. Keeping an eye on the delivery system the social workers,
community, political and religious leaders will be questioned by
the beneficiaries about the implementation of the Government of
India policies and programmes by the bureaucrats. Millions of
Muslims have higher expectations about their future today, than
they have ever had before, he added.
“Main Millat Ke Liye social service Karta Rahoong Aur Hukumat Ke
GalyaroN Mein Darwaza Khatkhata Ta Rahoonga Chahe Mujh Par Jitna
Bhi Congressi Hone Ka Ilzam Lagta Rahe. Maine Apne Liye Ya
Khandaan WaloN Ke Liye Kabhi Kuch Nahi Manga. Jisdin Yeh Koi Sabit
Kardega Ke Maine Apni Zaat Ya Khandaan WaloN Ke Liye Kuch Haasil
Kiya Hai To Main Usdin Social Service Se Sanyas Leloong”, Maulana
Mujaddidi said in a choked voice which drew a thunderous applause
from the assemblage.
Ph.D. in 12th Plan & Planning Commission
In a lighter vein later he said that his degrees from well-known
world level Madrasa may not be recognised by Oxford and Cambridge
Universities but making rounds of the Planning Commission of India
for the last four years when the process of preparation of 12th
Plan started I have obtained Ph.D. in 12th Five-Year-Plan and the
Planning Commission.
Meanwhile, he reminded the political leaders seated on the dais
and others that not a single Madrasa in the country gives training
in terrorism along with their religious curriculum. “I being a
Madrasa product can vouch for this on oath”, he emphatically said.
Talking about the 12th Plan which has been claimed to be Faster,
More Inclusive and Sustainable Growth, the Maulana pointed out
that the total allotment outlay for Minority Affairs has been
hiked from Rs.7,283/- crore in the 11th Plan to Rs.7,323/- crores
in the 12th Plan which is 137.85 per cent increase. While in the
Social Services sector the total allotment outlay has been
increased from Rs.1,197,576/- crore in the 11th Plan to
Rs.2,664,843/- crores in the 12th Plan which is 122.52 per cent
hike out of which 15 per cent share is Rs.399,726/- crores for
minorities. As per his own calculations, a whopping Rs. 1 lakh
crore has been allotted for the Uttar Pradesh Muslims under social
services, Maulana Mujaddidi stated.
He said that in Box No. 24.2 in the 12th Plan document on Page 256
of Volume III the Vision for the Twelfth Five Year Plan under the
heading Increase Allocation it is stated: “Increase the scale of
key interventions by greater financial outlays across the board to
include MsDP and also bringing a larger number of schemes within
the scope of the 15 PP, by making educational scholarships demand
driven and by initiating key pilot programmes to develop best
practices for the future”. For institutional robust monitoring all
the data of a district will be available with the district welfare
officer (facilitator) and available in the public domain.
Maulana Mujaddidi pointed out that Specific Interventions under
PM’s 15 Point Programme the 12th Plan document states that in
order to provide the best quality education, the endeavour in the
12th Plan will be towards having one Residential School along the
lines of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya and Kasturba Gandhi Balika
Vidyalaya. It will be established in a phased manner in minority
concentration Blocks and minority concentration towns/cities.
Norms in these schools need to ensure admission to at least 50 per
cent children belonging to minorities.
While on Page 263, Volume III of the 12th Plan document under the
title 3. Scheme for Promotion of Education in 100 Minority
Concentration Towns/Cities: 24.201. A sizeable minority population
in towns and cities is socio-economically disadvantaged and
requires a whole range of special initiatives to improve their
living conditions and opportunities. It is, therefore, necessary
to initiate special programmes for the promotion of education,
including skill and vocational education, in such backward
towns/cities for empowering members of minority communities, among
others.
New chapter added in Elementary Education
He said that under Right to Education, (TE), and Muslim Children,
a new chapter has been added in Elementary Education, wherein
states will have to constitute Working Group for Implementation.
There will be shift from Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, (SSA), to RTE in
the 12th Plan for free and compulsory education of equitable
quality to the children of India. By the middle of the 12th Plan a
new modality of implementation of RTE would be ready to replace
SSA.
Talking of the ground realities Maulana Mujaddidi lamented that in
the11th Plan under the Indira Awas Yojana, (IAY), for minorities
only 2 per cent of the targetted 15 per cent houses were allotted
to them.
India as World Super Power without
Muslims impossible
Speaking as chief guest Prakash Jaiswal said the importance of
education must be inculcated among Indian Muslims and they should
be acquainted with the schemes brought out by the Union Government
for their welfare so that they can derive maximum utilisation and
thereby extricate themselves from the morass of illiteracy and
poverty. He told the audience that it is their responsibility to
make the government answerable by taking two steps and then ask it
to take four steps.
Jaiswal said that then only India can aspire to become a world
Super Power. He candidly admitted without any inhibition that
without the progress and development of 15 per cent Muslims, who
are denied their due share, India cannot become a Super Power in
the 21st Century. It would remain only a pipe dream if Muslim
community is not brought into the mainstream to enjoy the fruits
of development as equal partners, he remarked.
He said that there are ample welfare schemes for the uplift of
Muslims by the Union government. However, the benefits do not
reach the common man as the regional governments which are the
implementing agencies are equally responsible for this, he added.
Jaiswal, while heaping praises on Maulana Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi
for his vision and mission, said the erudite Muslim cleric has
wealth of knowledge to uplift Muslims educationally through Union
government’s welfare schemes. He said when he visited Maulana
Fazlur Rahim’s Jamea-Tul-Hidaya Madrasa at Jaipur of which he is
Rector, he was spell-bound by the ambience of education that
pervades at his institute. It is a unique Madrasa in Jaipur
(Rajasthan), wherein religious, modern and technical education
have been so well combined for the all round development of Aalims
(graduate students) studying there in. Though a product of madrasa
education the Maulana is a real educationist and a social activist
in the true sense who has engaged himself with making the Muslim
community aware of their rights and duties. Every state should be
endowed with such a personality which would transform the fate of
Muslims in particular and the country at large to become a Super
Power, he opined.
Nirmal Khatri in his presidential address referring to Maulana
Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi said a Madrasa product knocking the doors
of Planning Commission incessantly not only got it opened but also
got his demands for the Muslim community accepted by it. This is
no mean achievement, he added.
Dr. Rita Bahuguna Joshi in a most humble manner acknowledged the
contributions of Maulana Mujaddidi for the uplift of Muslim
community which we politicians have failed to do so. She also
admitted that India gained freedom due to great sacrifices of
Madrasa education stalwart.
Dr. Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Zafar Ali Naqvi, Member of Parliament,
Dr. Mohammad Muslim and Akhtar Husain Akhtar also spoke on the
occasion.
In the beginning S. M. Hilal of Foundation of Civil Liberties
spoke on the National Conference’s Aims & Objects. He said due to
the weaknesses in the delivery mechanism the 12th Plan may also
suffer the same fate as that of the 11th Plan. As such the Muslims
and other weaker sections should remain on their toes to try to
understand the delivery mechanism and keep tab on the welfare
schemes meant for them, he added.
Arshad Azmi, chairman of Minority Welfare Programme Monitoring
Unit, (MWPMU), who was the convenor of the National Conference,
welcomed the guests at the start. He later on unfolded the Action
Plan of MWPMU. The seminar was organized under the aegis of SEE,
which is a New Delhi-based organisation working for the
educational uplift of Muslims.
Three books related to 12th Plan brought by SEE were released on
the occasion. At the end of the National Conference three
resolutions were unanimously adopted. The resolutions which were
passed are:- (i) The concerned Union Ministries should immediately
make public the action taken report. One year of the 12th Plan has
already been passed, the community had bad experienced of 11th
plan implementation specially related with educational
infrastructure. Therefore it is proposed that concerned Ministries
are requested to prepare an implementation Schedule for 12th Plan.
(ii) Though, The Scholarship Scheme has been made Demand Driven in
the 12th Plan but the amount layout will not fulfil the financial
needs to make it Demand Driven. Therefore, it is proposed that the
Scholarship outlay should be increased and matched as per
recommendations of Working Group (Ministry of Minority Affairs) &
Steering Committee (Planning Commission) proposal. Further, the
guidelines should also be amended according to the proposal.
(iii) The 12th Plan has introduced three (3) new Schemes viz. (a)
Educational Infrastructure for 100 MCTs, (Minority Concentrated
Towns); (b) Scholarship for Civil Services Exams & (c) Appointment
of Welfare Officer in MCDs (Minority Concentrated Districts).
These schemes are yet to be launched. It is proposed that these
schemes should be launched immediately.
At the outset Maulana Qari Sikandar Islahi recited verses from the
Holy Quran and explained its meaning to the assemblage. Mohammad
Iqbal Khan, Director, Crescent Academy, New Delhi, anchored the
programme with aplomb. Usmani proposed a vote of thanks.
(pervezbari@eth.net)
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