1. |
The
conference had wide-ranging and in-depth
discussions on the present socio-economic
and cultural status of the Muslims of
India. It was recognized that the community
as a whole has undergone patent and conspicuous
decline in all spheres that define the
well being of any community. The conference
expressed grave concern at the inadequate
attention that the problems of Indian
Muslims have so far received from the
Indian state which does not augur well
for the peace, prosperity and cohesion
of the nation as a whole. It was unanimously
recognized that immediate steps need to
be taken to arrest any further deterioration
in its status by addressing the problems
of the community as a whole and not by
compartmentalizing it into artificial
segments. |
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| 2. |
The
system of reservation in employment and
access to institutions of education and
training has proved invaluable in reducing
disparities in an essentially unequal
and socially stratified society. While
much more remains to be done in this sphere
including access to employment in productive
sectors outside the government which play
an ever increasing role in the economy,
a time has come when the issue of backwardness
of Muslims must be addressed through the
time tested machinery of reservations.
The conference noted that the bulk of
the Muslim population belongs to castes
which have been identified to be the socially
and educationally backward classes and
on that basis included in the list of
socially and educationally backward classes.
They are thus eligible for reservation
of 27 per cent. They are getting some
benefits of reservation thereby but not
commensurate their proportion among the
backward classes.. Measures like categorization
of backward classes and distribution of
27 per cent among different categories
of sub-categories of backward classes
need to be introduced. |
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| 3. |
The constitution of the country extends
a valuable right to the religious and
linguistic minorities to establish and
administer educational institutions of
their choice. The actual benefits of this
right have been uneven across the state,
and in the absence of a legislative framework
on the subject, it has not been possible
for the central government to effectively
safeguard these rights and to provide
for maintenance of institutions of educationally
backward minorities like the Indian Muslims.
It was also appreciated that in the peculiar
circumstances prevailing in the country
the educational needs of religious and
linguistic minorities may not be identical.
The conference, accordingly, resolved
to call upon the central government to
immediately bring forward a legislation
giving effect to the letter and spirit
of Article-30(1) of the constitution of
India. Such legislation must have an enabling
provision for direct central assistance,
recurring and non recurring, to institutions
established by educationally very backward
religious minorities. The conference also
calls upon the central government to also
consider suitably amending the constitution
of India if it appears necessary that
the differing educational needs of religious
and linguistic minorities need to be properly
differentiated. |
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| 4. |
The
conference notes with concern that years
of constant endeavour and struggles of
Indian Muslims for restoration of the
minority character of the Aligarh Muslim
University which resulted in the amendments
in the Aligarh Muslim University Act 1981,
have been put in serious jeopardy by a
recent pronouncement of the Allahabad
High Court that the Parliament did not
have the power to undo the effects of
an earlier judgment of the Supreme Court
which had denied the minority status of
the University. It was also noted that
some of the existing arrangements for
managing the affairs of the University
are not conducive to efficient academic
and executive management.
The conference demands that suitable legislative
measures, including if necessary constitutional
amendment, be immediately undertaken to
remove all doubts about the availability
of all rights under Article-30(1) of the
constitution to the Aligarh Muslim University.
Such amendments must in particular ensure
that the University is in a position to
provide for adequate representation to
Indian Muslims for receiving education
in the University. Necessary amendments
to the charter of the institution to make
it a more efficient instrument of achieving
its objectives be also considered. |
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| 5. |
Urdu
language, besides being a symbol of the
synthetic culture of the country is an
important ‘marker’ of the
cultural identity of large sections of
Indian Muslims. The facilities made available
for preservation and promotion of this
language and for imparting education through
the medium of this language as indeed
teaching of the language itself have been
woefully inadequate. The conference recognizes
that the problems faced by the language
in the country are complex and vary in
different parts. Considering that in a
situation of linguistically distinct states,
Urdu does not have an ‘area’
of its own it is clear that the central
government must assume specific responsibility
with reference to this language.
The conference, therefore, strongly recommends
that a “National Policy on Urdu”
be formulated without delay. The policy
must address the region specific requirements
to preserve and promote the language in
educational and other spheres. |
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6. |
Special
Bill pertaining to prevention and control
of communal violence which has been pending
in Parliament should immediately be passed.
The Central and State Governments should
ensure equal protection of laws and their
unbiased implementation to all citizens
including accountability on the District
Administration particularly District Magistrates
and senior police officials. As the police
is well known to have played partisan
role in implicating innocent Muslims and
freeing the culprits belonging to other
communities in major communal riots, genocide
and obnoxious incidences in the country
such as Mumbai, Gujarat, Nanded, Malegaon,
Bhiwandi, Bhagalpur, Hashimpura, Maliyana
etc. The Central Government therefore
should direct the Intelligence Bureau/
Central Bureau of Investigation to investigate/
enquire such intentional negligence and
hobnobbing with the culprits committed
by these officials and suggest appropriate
measures for the said application including
their punishment. |
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| 7. |
Fast
Track Courts should be established for
trying all crimes committed during communal
riots in order to cultivate the confidence
of the victims in established justice
system. The compensation for victims of
communal riots is inadequate. The Government
was realistic in arriving at quantum of
compensation for the victims of 1984 riots.
The same standard of compensation should
be applied to all subsequent communal
riots retrospectively and for the victims
of any future communal riots. Child-victims
and children of victims of communal riots
should be given the best education in
good government institutions at government’s
cost. Women widowed as a result of communal
riots should be given jobs in accordance
with their qualification and also should
be rehabilitated so that they are able
to maintain themselves and their children
and their education satisfactorily. People
who are victims of communal riots and
who are permanently or long-term disabled
should be helped to find appropriate means
of livelihood including jobs if qualified
on priority basis under the quota for
physically disabled. In the same manner
any other category of victims of communal
riots and terrorist acts should be given
full rehabilitation appropriately. |
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| 8. |
A
disproportionately large number of under-trial
inmates of jail are members of backward
classes of Muslims, Dalits, Backward Classes
and also other poor. This shows lopsidedness
of police investigation whereby the most
vulnerable are picked up whenever any crime
takes place. This needs to be corrected.
It also shows that a large chunk of our
population particularly poor Muslims are
victims of unemployment on account of which
they tend to be misguided. This needs to
be taken note of and corrective steps for
rapid employment generation for such categories
including poor Muslims should be undertaken
by the State and private industrial sector. |
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| 9. |
An
atmosphere should be created by the Government
of India and the civil society of India
within the country and by Indian initiative
internationally to counteract the widespread
tendency to dub the entire Muslim community
as terrorists or lawless, and on account
of a few misguided individuals who indulge
in such acts and who happen to be Muslims.
The intolerance towards a cultural identity
factor prevalent with its rich background
of pluralism and tolerance is an eminent
position to take initiative in this regard
internationally. |
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| 10. |
The
rapid growth of private TV channels and
other media, that sometimes represent the
views of limited classes, is an unfortunate
reality. Since 1990 the growth of private
TV channels is in direct proportion to the
rising communal temperature. Therefore to
curb the socially-biased media it is an
absolute imperative that the State takes
the lead to establish an independent TV
channel, and it should be accelerated. |
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| 11. |
The
National Commission for Minorities should
immediately be given constitutional status
with adequate rights and powers. |
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| 12. |
A
permanent statutory body should be created
for collecting socio-economic data pertaining
to Indian Muslims. |
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| 13.
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A
permanent body should be created for monitoring
and providing legal assistance in matters
pertaining to criminal justice, equity and
equality before law. |
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| 14. |
District
Magistrates should be held accountable for
preparing data banks of Muslims’ social,
educational and economic status every three
years. |
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| 15. |
Reports
of all major enquiry commissions pertaining
to major communal riots should be analyzed
and their recommendations which are still
relevant should be implemented. |
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| 16. |
A
permanent body should be established for
providing micro credit on easy terms to
weaker sections of Muslims for generating
self-employment. |
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| 17. |
Establishment
of permanent national and state commissions
for promoting primary, secondary and higher
level education for Muslim youth. |
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| 18. |
The
backward community should have proportionate
share in every governmental scheme at all
levels. |
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| 19. |
Muslims
should be given adequate and fair share
in public employment in the larger interests
of the country. |
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| 20. |
There
should be composite posting in those police
stations and district administration where
Muslims constitute substantial population. |
