Since 1947 attempts have been made by Muslims with full connivance of the Congress Party to create pockets of Islamistans within India. Some of the measures taken by the government and those initiated by the Muslim community in this direction are listed below:-
1. Justice Rajendra Sachar Committee
2. Justice Ranganath Misra Commission
3. National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions
4. Establishment of Darul Qazas (Islamic Courts)
5. Designation of Minority Concentration Districts
6. Establishment of Muslim Minority Universities
7. Establishment of Central Madrasa Board
8. Islamic Banks
9. Prime Minister's 15 Point Programme for Minorities
10. National Minorities Commission/State Commissions
11. Reservation for Muslims in Government jobs and educational institutions
12. Establishment of Haj Houses in States
A brief write-up on the above points follows.
Dr. Manmohan Singh's Era-Resurgence of Muslim Separatism
Congress Party has been in power at the Centre for more than 50 years since 1947. In this period, the party has consistently pursued the policy of Muslim appeasement initiated by Gandhi in 1920s. In pre-Independence period, the aim of the party was to get freedom for India by appeasing the Muslims. Since 1947, the Congress's objective has been to remain in power by hook or by crook. Means matter little so long as these help the party to capture and retain power. With the solid support of Muslims, Congress party came to power in 2004. As a result, a number of Committees /Commissions were set up to look into demands of the Muslims. The number of committees/Commissions set up by Manmohan Singh's government gave public the impression that Muslims of India were the most oppressed minority in India and an urgent action was called for to rectify the situation.
BJP wants to succeed where Gandhi failed :
Those who have played an important part in the trend towards the creation of a series of Islamistans within Hindustan are : the UPA government which knowing fully well the implications of such policy initiatives has been more than willing to pander to Muslim demands. The Muslim community who with the aim of pursuing its agenda of separatism has focussed on those areas which help to achieve this aim. However, the party most to blame is the Bhartiya Janta Party. It is the Party in the opposition and it has repeatedly claimed that it is committed to protect the interest of the Hindus. When these committees were being set up it did not raise any objection. Even if there was one, it was muted and it represented consent rather than dissent. The BJP seems to feel that by opposing such measures, it would lose the Muslim vote as also lose their sympathy. The BJP leadership is completely mistaken. Gandhi lived for Muslims and eventually died for them. Yet he failed to convince the Muslims that they should not insist on Partition. BJP wants to succeed where Gandhi had failed.
Justice Rajendra Sachar Committee:
The Report has become the Magna Carta for the Muslim Community. Based on inadequate data, the Report reached the conclusion that in certain respects the position of Muslims was worse than the Dalits of this country. To rectify the situation, the Committee recommended the strengthening of Wakf administration; restoration of Wakf lands/properties now under the control of State/or private parties. To provide for more opportunities for Muslims in Government jobs etc; it recommended the establishment of an Equal Opportunities Commission. The Government of India have recently issued notifications providing for reservation for Muslims in jobs and educational institutions. Muslims are now demanding that reservation quota should correspond to the population of Muslims in each State and at the all India level.
Justice Ranganath Misra Commission :
The Commission, inter-alia, has recommended that Muslims should be treated on par with the Dalits. They be included in the list of scheduled castes. All the benefits now accruing to Dalits be extended to Muslims. The Member Secretary of the Misra Commission, however, gave a Note of Dissent on this recommendation. In brief, it argued that comparison of backward and poor Muslims with Dalits was without any justification. Therefore, the question of including Muslims in the list of Scheduled Cast did not arise. In the eyes of a Muslim, a Hindu belonging to any caste was a Kafir and deserved to be killed if he refuses to embrace Islam. And this is how the Hindus were treated under Muslim rule for over six hundred years.
National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions:
The Commission has been established on a permanent basis. The aim of the Muslim community in demanding such a Commission was to create a statutory machinery that could declare any Muslim run or Centrally funded institution as a Muslim Minority institution. This is what exactly the Commission has done in the case of Jamia Millia University; a centrally funded institution was declared a Minority institution. It continues to be funded by the Central Government but control and admission processes rest with the Muslims. It amounts to payment of Jizya by Hindus by another name. It is mostly Hindu tax payers money that is being used to run and prop up Muslim institutions like the Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia. The role of the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development has been reduced to providing funds and advice only.
Central Board for Madarasas :
The Muslim Community has demanded that a Central Board for Madarasas be established on the lines of the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE). It is another attempt to milk the centre for providing funds. The larger object, however, is that certificates issued by the Madrasas Board be recognized by the Central/State Governments for jobs and admission to institutions of higher learning.
Establishment of Darul Qazas :
There are Shariah Courts functioning all over the country. Their existence is an assault on the powers and majesty of the Supreme Court of India. Only a few years ago, a case had been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the existence of those darul quazas. The case is still awaiting final disposal by the Court.
Designation of Minority Concentration Districts :
The term minority has not been defined in the Constitution of India. The Central Government, however, through a Notification have identified Muslims, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains, and Christians as minorities for purposes of the National Commission for Minorities. Basically it is an attempt on the part of Government of India to help the Muslims as none of the other minorities listed in the Notification warrant or even wish to avail of any Government assistance. In fact, the other minorities are making substantial contribution to the economic and social development of this country. The establishment of National Commission/ for Minorities State Minority Commissions are assentially meant to cater to Muslim demands.
The declaration of Minority Concentration Districts is an euphemism for Muslims as here too the list of minorities is no different from those mentioned above. The scheme is patently discriminatory in character as it leaves out from its ambit the poor Hindus belonging to higher castes. It is the worst form of communalism now practiced by the UPA Government.
Islamic Banks :
Non-banking Finance Companies in Kerala have been pressing the Central Government /the Reserve Bank of India to accord approval to the setting up of finance companies according to the Shariah. These are also known as profit sharing entities. The Central Governments/RBI are not willing to take a final stand against the functioning of the Islamic banking. Janta Party President, Dr. S. Swamy has, however, moved the court challenging the legality of such institutions in India.
PRIME MINISTER'S NEW 15-POINT PROGRAMME FOR THE WELFARE OF MUSLIMS
A) Enhancing opportunities for Education.
(1) Equitable availability of ICDS Services
A certain percentage of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) projects and Anganwadi Centres will be located in blocks/villages with a substantial population of minority communities to ensure that the benefits of this scheme are equitably available to such communities also.
(2) Improving access to School Education
Under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Scheme, and other similar Government schemes, it will be ensured that a certain percentage of such schools are located in villages/localities having a substantial population of minority communities.
(3) Greater resources for teaching Urdu
Central assistance will be provided for recruitment and posting of Urdu language teachers in primary and upper primary schools that serve a population in which at least one-fourth belong to that language group.
(4) Modernising Madarsa Education
The Central Plan Scheme of Area Intensive and Madarsa Modernisation Programme provides basic educational infrastructure in areas of concentration of educationally backward minorities and resources for the modernisation of Madarsa education. Keeping in view the importance of addressing this need, this programme will be substantially strengthened and implemented effectively.
(5) Scholarships for meritorious students from minority communities.
(6) Improving educational infrastructure through the Maulana Azad Education Foundation
The Government shall provide all possible assistance to Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF) to strengthen and enable it to expand its activities more effectively.
(B) Equitable Share in Economic Activities and Employment
(7) Self-Employment and Wage Employment for the poor
(a) A certain percentage of the physical and financial targets under the the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) will be earmarked for beneficiaries belonging to the minority communities living below the poverty line in rural areas.
(b) A certain percentage of the physical and financial targets under Urban Self-Employment Programme (USEP) and Urban Wage Employment Programme (UWEP) will be earmarked to benefit people below the poverty line from the minority communities.
(c) A certain percentage of the allocation under Sampurna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) will be earmarked for beneficiaries belonging to the minority communities living below the poverty line till these districts are taken up under NREGP.
Simultaneously, a certain percentage of the allocation will be earmarked for the creation of infrastructure in such villages, which have a substantial population of minorities.
(8) Upgradation of skills through technical training A certain proportion of all new ITIs will be located in areas predominantly inhabited by minority communities and a proportion of existing ITIs to be upgraded to 'Centres of Excellence' will be selected on the same basis.
(9) Enhanced credit support for economic activities
(a) The National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC) was set up in 1994 with the objective of promoting economic development activities among the minority communities.
(b) It will be ensured that an appropriate percentage of the priority sector lending in all categories is targeted for the minority communities.
(10) Recruitment to State and Central Services
(a) In the recruitment of police personnel, State Governments will be advised to give special consideration to minorities.
(b) The Central Government will take similar action in the recruitment of personnel to the Central police forces.
(c) Large scale employment opportunities are provided by the Railways, nationalised banks and public sector enterprises. In these cases also, the concerned departments will ensure that special consideration is given to recruitment from minority communities.
(d) An exclusive scheme will be launched for candidates belonging to minority communities to provide coaching in government institutions as well as private coaching institutes with credibility.
(C) Improving the conditions of living of minorities.
(11) Equitable share in rural housing scheme.
(12) Improvement in condition of slums inhabited by minority communities
(D) Prevention & control of communal riots
(13) Prevention of communal incidents
(14) Prosecution for communal offences
(15) Rehabilitation of victims of communal riots.
Physical Targets and Financial Outlays:
Considering the complexity of the programme and its wide reach, wherever possible, Ministries Departments concerned will earmark 15 percent of the physical targets and financial outlays for minorities. These will be distributed between States/UTs on the basis of the proportion of Below Poverty Line (BPL) population of minorities in a particular State/Union Territory to the total BPL population of minorities in the country, subject to the following:-
B. Implementation, Monitoring and Reporting-
The term 'substantial minority population' in the 15 Point Programme applies to such districts/sub-district units where at least 25% of the total population of that unit belongs to minority communities
C. Central Level:
(i) At the central level, the progress of implementation, with reference to targets, will be monitored once in six months by a Committee of Secretaries (COS), and a report will be submitted to the Union Cabinet. The Ministry of Minority Affairs shall be the nodal Ministry to prepare reports in this regard for placing before the COS and the Union Cabinet once in six months. All Ministries/Departments concerned with this programme shall submit quarterly reports to the Ministry of Minority Affairs by the 15 day of the next quarter.
(ii) There shall be a Review Committee for the Prime Minister's New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of the Minorities headed by Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, with nodal officers from all the Ministries/Department concerned which shall meet at least once every quarter to review the progress, obtain feedback and resolve problems and provide clarifications, as might be needed.