Muslim empowerment: Justice Sachar urges Karnataka govt to form EOC

Bengaluru, Nov 27: “All state governments should set up the Equal Opportunity Commission and public sector also should come under the preview of this commission. Then only, the Other Backward Classes including Muslims can get equal opportunities in education and employment,” said Justice Rajinder Sachar.

He was delivering a talk on Muslim Empowerment at the launching ceremony of Karnataka Muslim Coordination Committee (KMCC), a social organisation intended to work for communal harmony and empowerment of Muslim community through democratic means, at Town Hall, here on Sunday.

He said that if Karnataka government has real commitment toward OBCs then it should form Equal Opportunity Commission immediately in the state.

“The Sachar committee report is not just related to Muslims, It is related to all other communities. In a democratic country all communities should get equal opportunities. But Muslims in India are deprived from equal opportunities in education, employment and political appointments. Muslims are undivided part of India and any kind of apathy against them is against constitutional aspires,” he said adding that if a government fails to protect the interest of any minorities it will lose the moral right to rule the state.

Stating that Muslims are part of Indian culture and have contributed immensely to attain freedom, Justice Sachar endorsed the Karnataka government's decision to honour Tipu Sultan, who sacrificed his life fighting against British imperialists.

He emphasized that his report on the social, economical and educational status of the minorities was based on facts and it was the collective responsibility of all the people to see that the report is implemented to strike a balance in rendering social justice. He made it clear that there is nothing wrong to fight for right and lamented that even Karnataka government ruled by Conges has not implemented his suggestions to constitute an 'equal opportunity commission' to look into discrimination among different sections of people in employment other fields even at private sector.

B M Farooq, CMD of Fiza group of industries, and treasurer KMCC, in his key note address explained the objectives of the newly formed NGO and the need to coordinate the minority communities and other marginalized section of people for a common cause in the face of various threats faced by it.

He pointed out that state governments in India have failed to implement the recommendations of Sachar Committee report. “Many argue that implementation of the recommendations of the Sachar Committee Report would virtually divide the society. The plight of Muslims in India remains to be pathetic while many other communities with political and administrative influence snatch away all liberties to the detriment of the community. Muslims were accused of being not loyal to the Indian state, of being terrorists, and politicians who tried to help them risked being accused of "appeasing" them,” he lamented.

The launch of Karnataka Muslim Coordination Committee (KMCC) is an earnest endeavor to unite all sections of the underprivileged and oppressed in the society for a collective bargain for the rights and liberties they are entitled to, he said.

The Muslims, Dalits and other minorities should be united and there should be a social awareness created to fight for their rights in a democratic manner. The political parties have treated the minority community, especially the Muslim community as a vote bank and the community is ill treated and neglected. Poverty, illiteracy and backwardness are rampant and the government does nothing to improve the standard of the community, he complained.

The members of the Muslim community are targeted by the police and false cases are filed against them without affording them any opportunity to even get the legal assistance. Those who take up the cause have been branded astraitors'. Though Muslims are staunch patriots and are ready to sacrifice anything for the nation, they are very often described as anti national. The situation should be changed. Launch of KMCC is only a small step in the right direction.

Muslim community does not have a constructive leadership to enable it to achieve the rights, liberties and privileges to which the community is entitled to and the first and foremost objective of KMCC will be to achieve a constructive leadership and platform for the community from which, the community may be guided in the right direction.

Muslim Community is deprived of education, jobs and government services for want of proper guidance. Our endeavor will be held the youth in the community to acquire knowledge, education in the best school and colleges so that they would be able to stand on their own leg to achieve the goal of securing positions in the legislative, executive and judicial appointments with dignity.

Muslim community is targeted falsely accused of terrorism and other disruptive activities for no fault of them for political gains. KMCC would like to form a squad of professionals to act as awatchdog' against such atrocities against the members of the community and also to alleviate any such tendencies shown by any group of the community by properly educating and creating awareness amongst them.

To protect the interest of the community against the atrocities committed by the administrative or law enforcing agencies without any cogent evidence and to provide legal and financial assistance to them if they are falsely implicated or targeted in the opinion of the expert level committee of the Organization.

“We are for a strong India. We condemn any form of cross border terrorism targeting our nation and we are ready to sacrifice our lives for the sake of this great nation. At the same time, we demand a decent living and equal opportunity to serve the nation with dignity. Let us fight for our right. Let might be not right,” he said.

Mr. Amithabh Khundu, the Chairman of the Sachar Commission Evaluation Committee, presented the statistics and stressed the need to act on the report submitted showing the backwardness of the minorities in many fronts on account of discrimination of the community. He hoped that central govt would take appropriate step to alleviate the disparities. Justice H N Nagmohan Das also spoke.

The function was inaugurated by Moulana Mufti Muhammed Ashraf Ali, Amir-e-Shariat, Karnataka. Syed Zameer Pasha, IAS (retired) welcomed the gatherings. Haris and Hanif Mohammed compered the programme. Mirza Mehadi proposed vote of thanks.