Mumbai: Over half a dozen Muslim associations and NGOs in Mumbai Monday while slamming the erstwhile Congress-NCP government for making lofty promises urged the newly formed BJP government in Maharashtra to implement in full force the Prime Minister's 15 point program first introduced in 2006.
In a letter submitted to Minister of Minority Development Department Eknath Khadse through Joint Secretary of the ministry, Ainul Attar, members of the All India Milli Council, All India OBC Movement and others also urged the government to make available police recruitment exam papers in Urdu and English languages along with Urdu.
"The question papers must also be made available in English and Urdu along with Marathi. The questions are framed in chaste Marathi, which is extremely difficult for the non-Marathi medium students to understand," the letter said.
The request to the government comes after Eknath Khadse last week announced the introduction of an option to study Urdu in Marathi schools in addition to the facility of learning Marathi in Urdu-medium schools that are run by the state government.
"Several Muslims find it difficult to get inducted in the state police service for posts like constables and inspectors because they clear all stages but fail when it comes to writing and conversing in Marathi. If they are given question papers in English or Urdu, chances of cracking it are much higher," the letter said.
Attar admitted that according to the Official Languages Commission, an additional language can be incorporated in a state which has 8-10 per cent of its population speaking that particular language.
Maharashtra has about 14% Muslim population who mostly speak Urdu. But, their representation in police and other government jobs are dismal.
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