By India Tomorrow News,
Lucknow, 10 April 2014: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) General Secretary Satish Mishra has promised to set up a new Delimitation Commission to de-reserve SC/ST seats in Muslim predominant constituencies if his party came to power at the centre.
A delegation of Zakat Foundation of India (ZFI) led by its President, Dr. Syed Zafar Mahmood, had a discussion with Mishra in Lucknow where Dr. Mahmood explained that the basic cause of denial of justice to Muslims was their under-representation in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
According to ZFI, since the Muslim population is 13.4% (as per Census) at national level, in the Lok Sabha of 542 members there should be at least 73 Muslims. But since 1952 till date, in all the Lok Sabhas the average number of Muslims has been less than 27. In state assemblies, the number is either equally bad or worse.
ZFI argued that the main reason for this is that predominantly Muslim constituencies are reserved for SCs even though their percentage is low. Whereas those constituencies where Muslims are not in large numbers and the SC percentage is quite substantial, are not reserved.
For example, in Assam, the Karimganj lok sabha constituency has 52% Muslims (as per census) and 13% SC population but it is reserved for SCs. Yet, Jorhat and Dibrugarh are not reserved even though Muslim population there is only 5%. Likewise, Bahraich assembly constituency is reserved for SCs while it has 35% Muslims and only 16% SCs. But Rae Bareli is not reserved while there SCs are 30% with only 6% Muslims.
Mr. Mishra promised that after the Lok Sabha elections, the BSP will take up the matter immediately and if they came to power a new Delimitation Commission shall be appointed with specific directions to remove these anomalies within a given timeframe, as suggested by the Sachar Committee.
The BSP General Secretary also promised to forcefully take up and get implemented pending Muslim welfare programs including the following:
1. Institution of Alternation Admission Criteria for admission in colleges and universities as recommended by Sachar Committee so that academic merit is considered upto 60% and the remaining 40% is covered by the backwardness and lack of resources of the applicants;
2. Creation of time-bound fast track courts to try terror allegations;
3. Compensation of Rs fifty lakh to each person who is found by the court as not guilty of terror allegations;
4. Enactment of anti-communal violence law;
5. Like Scheduled Castes, creating special component for Muslims in the plan / budget;
6. For the 15-point minority welfare program enhancing budget from 15% to 19% as minorities comprise 19% of the total national population;
7. For planning of infrastructure schemes and their implementation for minorities, making village & ward as units rather than district or block;
8. Scrapping the limited competitive examination for recruiting 1400 additional IPS officers;
9. Establishing Indian Waqf Service;
10. Establishing Equal Opportunity Commission; instituting incentive schemes based on diversity index;
Others in the ZFI delegation included the Vice President SM Shakil and Secretary Mumtaz Najmi.
