The side of Indian Muslims Sachar Committee missed in its Report

Friday, December 18, 2009 09:07:36 PM, Aleem Faizee, ummid.com

Notwithstanding the fact that even after three years when Sachar Committee Report was handed over to the Prime Minister and despite the government distributing few thousand scholarships to Muslim students, the government is yet to come out with any concrete proposal for the overall revival of the beleaguered community, there are people like Abdul Karim Salar who are trying their own bit to contribute in this regard. Like Sayid Hamid did in North India, Karim Salar who is the Founder President of Iqra Education Society, Jalgaon in North Maharashtra traveled all over the region and distributed the condensed report to make people aware of what Justice Sachar and his colleagues have written about them. In a bit to contribute for the community's revival at every village he went he stressed, “Search for one acre of land in your village and arrange for half of the payment. We will pay the rest half and assist you in starting a school."

In this exclusive interview with ummid.com Karim Salar analysed the Sachar Report with a new angle. Speaking with him revealed that Salar surely has something about the Indian Muslims that Justice Sachar and his colleagues probably missed in their report.

Considering his approach and reading of the Sachar Committee Report might work to the benefit of the Muslims in India, we are summarising the excerpts of the interview for the ummid.com readers:

'The Report makes me feel proud of Indian Muslims'

“Since we belong to North Maharashtra - already a backward area - we have practically seen people undergoing many things that are mentioned in the Sachar Committee Report”, Karim Salar says while his colleague Gaffar Malik nods in agreement. “Yet the Committee has done wonderful job. The responsibilities of the Government have in fact increased after its submission to the Prime Minister. But it is very unfortunate that the Government, instead of devising concrete proposals for the community is playing again with the same old tactics vis-à-vis the Muslims in India”, he adds.

“Nonetheless, does it mean we sit idle while waiting for the Government to do something for us?” he asks and then replies, “It will be a mistake. The mistakes which we are repeating again and again since last many years. If we are really interested in working for the betterment of the community, we should analyze the Sachar Committee Report with a new angle. You do this and you will not only find some solutions but it will make you feel proud of the Indian Muslims.”

A new angle? Yes and Salar goes on to justify his approach, “The report has shown the Indian Muslims far behind in every field. Behind even the Dalits. It has admitted, the Muslims are facing the atrocities since many years. There is no job guarantee for them. Their industrial clusters are systematically being destroyed, during the riots and sometimes by other means. What’s more, we have seen the community being subjected to even genocide. Still, you won’t find any Indian Muslim in this Report, dumping the country because of the injustice. Despite the challenging conditions, they are part of the country. They are loyal to the nation. Sachar Report does not find the Indian Muslims in the list of the traitors. And this is what makes me feel proud of the Indian Muslims.”

'Government has failed not the Indian Muslims'

“The time has come to show to the world how the Indian Muslims are contributing for the country despite being at loggerheads for decades”, he asserts before elaborating, “The Government is formulating various laws to combat increasing cases of abortion and deliberate killing of female fetus in womb. The practice has even resulted in gender imbalance. But fortunately for them and for the Government, there is no gender imbalance among Muslims. Even though they know it will be difficult for them to feed the newly born they are not into abortion killing. The death due to malnutrition that has become a challenge for the Government of late is almost zero among the Indian Muslims despite their poor economical conditions.”

“Even on the economic front”, Karim Salar says, “When they were denied the incentives and supports that the Government normally gives to others, instead of opting for unlawful means the Muslims in India chose to earn their livelihood by legitimate means using the industries which normally no body opts for”, he says. “And the Muslims, though in trades like scraps and waste materials, they are helping the Government in its campaign for eco-friendly ambiance by recycling major chunk of wastes in the country."

“These facts reveal that the Sachar Committee report has in fact highlighted the failure of the successive Governments. Not the Muslims”, he asserts and says in a very clear term, “The Indian Muslims, despite all odds, are not only providing foods to their families but are also contributing for the nation like others in the country.”

'Indian Muslims, morally strong despite all odds'

“Economically, the Muslims in India might not be so strong”, he says. “But morally, they are very strong. So strong that they cannot even think of sending their parents to the old-age homes, a trend spreading so fast in the country that the Government is even proposing laws to combat this.”

“Moreover”, he says, “We are not ashamed that the representation of our women is low in the jobs. In fact this is perfectly in line with our policy where we consider male members of a family responsible for providing bread and butter for their kin.”

'Awareness, Key for the Revival'

Describing that most of the Muslims are not even aware of the statistics mentioned in the Sachar Committee Report, he says, “We should vigorously campaign for making the people aware of these statistics. Once this is done, I believe, the community has the potential of reviving on its own. Provided, of course, if the Government guarantees the safety and security of their establishments.”

“And on our parts”, he concludes, “We should advise the Indian Muslims for observing total restraint so that the Anti-Muslim forces in the country don’t get any chance to incite communal violence. We should remember that riots are meant not only for destruction of our properties and industrial establishments but they are also meant for making the Muslims an easy target for police.”

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