Muslim leaders launch national movement for Muslim reservation

Muslim leaders launch national movement for Muslim reservation

http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2009/feb/01/muslim_leaders_launch_national_movement_muslim_reservation.html
http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2009/feb/01/govt_urged_grant_reservation_muslims_community.html
http://www.twocircles.net/2009feb01/give_muslims_jobs_development_benefits_bridge_alienation.html
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=8d490b8c-2ddf-4b24-bfdd-f186e23a0723

New Delhi: The Muslim community in India should be recognized as a Backward Class and should be given reservation along with SCs, STs, and OBCs, demanded Joint Committee of Muslim Organizations for Empowerment (JCMOE) at the end of a national convention for Muslim reservation in New Delhi today. New Delhi: Presiding over the first session of the convention, former Chief Justice of India A.M. Ahmadi, who said in his view secularism is the vision of India, averred, "No country can progress if a sizeable section is denied the opportunity to participate in development… We are yet to see our democracy blossom to its full when minorities are meted out equal treatment." Earlier, in his welcome and introductory speech, Convenor of JCMOE and former president All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat and Ex-MP Syed Shahabuddin said, "The Muslim community today is demanding reservation as a Backward Class, as a deprived group, who is almost as backward as SC/ST and more backward than the non-Muslim OBCs. The second session chaired by Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, provided the delegates and participants to interact. Ameer of Jamaat said the Sachar Report has established that the governments have been biased against the Muslim community, so it is necessary for them to grant reservation to the community for its social, economic and education progress. He assured the JCMOE leaders that Jamaat will give its full support to the Muslim reservation movement. Shahnawaz Ali Raihan, secretary, Students Islamic Organization of India, told the elders to offer full support of the youth organization to the movement for reservation. Speaking on the occasion Raihan said as Muslims constitute 13.4% of total population and compared to SC/ST 90% of the community is backward, 12% reservation should be given to them. He also called for a nationwide movement against casteism and communalism – both hard and soft communalism. "Dr. Sayyid Hamid, renowned educationist and Chancellor Jamia Hamdard, also pleaded for Muslim reservation. Mr. Ram Vilas Pawan, Chemicals, Fertiliser and Steel Minister and president Lok Janshakti Party, said that Muslim community should be provided reservation in government employment and higher education under the relevant sections of the Constitution for the socio-economic upliftment of the socially and economically backward sections of the population. A.B. Bardhan of Communist Party of India, Debabrata Biswas of All India Forward Block, representatives of Janta Dal (S) and Nationalist Congress Party, and Christian leader Fr. Dominic Emmanuel and Jail leader Bal Patil also endorsed the Muslims' demand for reservation. The third and final session chaired by Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan, president All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat and Editor Milli Gazette. JCMOE, which has in its fold all major Muslim organizations including Jamiat Ulema-I-Hind, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, All India Muslim Majlise Mushawarat, All India Milli Council and Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadis, has launched a national movement for Muslim reservation and appealed to Muslim community and organizations to rise above all considerations and participate in the movement wholeheartedly. Twocircles.net/ Ians/ ndtv/HT