By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI – The All India Milli Council (AIMC), a leading organisation of Indian Muslims, has drawn the attention of all political parties to the ongoing communal rhetoric and the organised hate campaign against the minority communities and unchecked persecution of Dalits and other marginalised sections ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The AIMC has released a comprehensive charter of demands for the political parties, urging them to carry out a serious path finding to reinstate the values enshrined in the Constitution, including justice, liberty, equality and fraternity, and work against institutionalisation of violence and discrimination against vulnerable sections of society, which will weaken the nation.
The charter of demands was released simultaneously in New Delhi and all state capitals on February 23 following an extraordinary meeting of the Political Affairs Committee of AIMC, held in Mumbai on January 15 and 16. The draft of the demands was finalised with mutual consultation among the participants in the two-day meeting.
The charter of demands has been made public through press conferences and presented to the heads of all secular political parties and alliances, so that it could be taken up and made a part of their election manifestos. The AIMC expressed the hope that the political parties would adopt a positive attitude towards the second largest majority within the country as well as the deprived sections in order to include them in the overall development of the country irrespective of religion, caste and gender.
As a national platform of Indian Muslims, the AIMC is rendering valuable services for the unity and solidarity of the country by holding wide-ranging consultations on religious affairs and other general issues. It has always played a positive and active role in strengthening the democratic values, awakening public opinion against fascist tendencies and creating an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect among different communities.
The AIMC has made all-out efforts to awaken political and social consciousness among Muslims and keep them aware of the complexities and vicissitudes of the situation and provide proper guidance. It has given a serious consideration to the socio-political scenario before the 18th general elections, while taking notice of increasing attacks on democracy and the secular character of the country as well as the clouds of fear and danger hovering over the nation from all directions.
As a result of an ill-conceived plan, the minorities, particularly Muslims, other deprived sections and those sections of the society which should have got a proper share in the overall development of the country are under the spell of despair and deprivation, according to the AIMC. The situation has evolved in such a way that the citizens cannot even dare to put their demands before the government.
The charter of demands pointed out that within the country, those who should have received a share proportionate to their population, were being attacked from all sides. The charter contained the subjects such as under-development affairs, implementation of recommendations of the Sachar Committee and Justice Ranganath Misra Commission, establishment of Equal Opportunity Commission, proportional representation of minorities in all government institutions and establishment of single window system and green channel for implementation of government schemes.
Regarding the protection of Waqf properties, an emphasis was laid on effective implementation of the Waqf Act, 1995, while all encroachments on the Waqf properties should be cleared and the said properties handed over to the Waqf Board. The system of nominating elected representatives (MLAs, MLCs, MPs, local bodies’ members) and government officials should be abolished and all members of the Waqf Board should be elected from the Muslim community as a whole.
The charter of demands raised the issue of national security with the plea for withdrawal of amendments made to UAPA Act at various stages, repeal of CAA and IFSPA, revival of IMDT Act, 1983, restoration of Criminal Procedure Code, Indian Penal Code and Evidence Act by withdrawing the recently enacted Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Samhita, Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Samhita by the central government, and Section 124A of I.P.C. (law on sedition) should be repealed.
Under the communal riots and atrocities against religious minorities, legislation of Communal Violence Bill, 2011, implementation of the Protection of Minorities Act, modelled on the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, has been demanded. For the incidents of mob violence and lynching, the state administrations should be held accountable, and Section 103 (2) of the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita, 2023, which prescribes death or life imprisonment with fine for perpetrators of mob lynching, should be given a separate legal status and its implementation ensured in the real sense.
The charter of demands sought judicial powers for the Minorities Commission. There were demands for representation in various departments and ensuring proportional appointments of minorities under special recruitment drives in all central and state investigating and secret agencies. A comprehensive reservation law should be enacted so that the marginalised sections of the society get proportionate representation in education and public employment.
Amendments should be brought to the 1950 Presidential Order in relation to SCs and STs, so as to remedy the discrimination against minorities, especially Muslims and Christians, on religious grounds in the matters of reservation. Regarding educational issues, reservation for minorities in educational institutions, giving new life to the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, setting up of residential schools for minorities in blocks with minority concentration on the lines of Navodaya Vidyalaya and proportionate reservation in government and government-aided educational institutions to the minorities were the main subjects highlighted in the charter.
The quality of educational institutions should be restored, which have been established specially for the minorities and other weaker sections, including the establishment of permanent skill universities for the minorities, according to the charter.
In addition to these subjects, public health, cultural affairs, development and protection of national and minority languages, issues related to women, approval of various demands of the farmers, establishment of a separate Ministry for the protection of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and other issues were also included in the charter of demands.
The AIMC expressed the hope that the media, with its journalistic responsibilities, would play their sensitive role in highlighting and putting the demands before the political parties for their inclusion in the election manifestos.
