People's Democracy

Implement Sachar Committee Recommendations

CPI(M) Delhi Committee Holds Demonstration

THE CPI (M) Delhi state committee organised a demonstration at ITO on June 28 demanding the Delhi state government to implement the Sachar committee recommendations. Hundreds of people, men and women belonging to the Muslim minority as well as CPI(M) activists from different areas participated in the demonstration. Later a memorandum outlining demands for alleviation of the condition of Muslims in Delhi was submitted to the chief minister. The demonstration was addressed by Sehba Farooqui, convenor of the Muslim minorities committee of the Party in Delhi; Albeena Shakil, secretary, Delhi state SFI; Alam Sher Siddiqui, Party leader from Sagarpur, Murtaza Ali Athar, a senior student from JNU and P M S Grewal, secretary Delhi state, CPI(M).

The speakers laid bare the discrimination faced by the Muslim community in Delhi. The literacy rate of Muslims in Delhi stands at 66.6 percent which is over 15 percent behind the average literacy rate in the state. Muslim population in Delhi is 12 percent. But of the total bank accounts only 2.6 percent belong to Muslims. Access to bank loans is even worse. Of the funds disbursed by the SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) to Muslims in Delhi over the last five years, only 22 percent of the total amount sanctioned has actually reached them, while the average ratio of disbursal to sanction for the entire population in the state stands at 82 percent. The all India figure for Muslims in government employment is 6.3 percent. But in Delhi it is just 3.2 percent. In many Muslim concentrated areas of Delhi, primary health centers, dispensaries, government schools, mother dairy booths etc., are either non-existent or negligible in proportion to the size of the population. Civic amenities in such areas are very poor. Banks follow an unwritten policy of not sanctioning loans to Muslims living in such ‘blacklisted’ areas. A large proportion of Delhi's Muslims are self-employed but there is a conspicuous absence of ITI’s and Polytechnics in areas where their population is concentrated.

The speakers strongly criticised the central government and Delhi government for prevaricating in implementing the recommendations of the Sachar committee report. Instead of taking initiative to alleviate the lot of the Muslims on lines suggested by the Sachar committee, the central government has appointed four sub-committees to go into different aspects of the committee's recommendations. The Delhi government has done nothing so far. This is unacceptable. The demonstration concluded with a call to build public pressure on the central and state governments through continued campaign and mobilisation for implementation of the Sachar committee recommendations.

DEMAND CHARTER FOR ADVANCEMENT OF MUSLIM MINORITIES IN DELHI

The following demands were submitted to the Delhi chief minister on June 28, 2007:

• Allocate 15 percent of the Delhi Budget for the development of Muslims.

• Spend more on education. Build more schools, ITIs, vocational training institutes, polytechnics, and institutes for training of nurses and teachers in Muslim populated areas.

• Implement the three-language formula properly. Provide Urdu as an optional language in all government and aided schools. Fill up all vacancies of Urdu teachers.

• Provide the Maulana Azad MCM Fellowship for minorities announced by the UPA government immediately. Extend the fellowship up to research level.

• Provide basic amenities like water, electricity, sanitation etc., in such areas. Build government dispensaries and jacha bacha centers, community centers, DMS and Mother Dairy booths. Improve transport facilities and connectivity in such areas.

• Regularise all unauthorised colonies in Delhi taking the year 2000 as the base year.

• Provide loans on easy terms to artisans and small-scale manufacturers. Provide support to house-hold industries, especially those in which work is done by women.

• Improve recruitment of Muslims in state government jobs.

• Double the funds for the State Minority Development and Finance Corporation.

• Resolve the 318 pending litigations of the Delhi government with the Wakf Board immediately so that the income generated from Wakf properties can be used for the interest of the community.

• Recruit more Muslims in security forces. Stop police high handedness in Muslim populated areas.

• Conduct sensitisation programmes among all government employees to check communalisation, especially for those involved in public dealing.

• Ensure empanelment of Muslims in all recruitment boards of selection committees.

• Provide land for graveyards. (INN)