The 2010 Commonwealth Games Curtain Raiser
The 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) will be held in New Delhi from 3-14 October 2010. Hectic preparations are on to get the works completed prior to the commencement of the games. The Government is showing a rosy picture and is linking the expenditure involved on the Games to the much needed requirement of infrastructural development. However, everybody doesn’t agree to this. Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN) has recently launched a report titled “The 2010 Commonwealth Games: Whose Weatlh? Whose Commons?” Former Chief Justice, Delhi High Court, Justice AP Shah, officially released the report at an event which was followed by a Panel Discussion chaired by Miloon Kothari, former United National Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing. Other panelists consited of Dr. Amitabh Kundu, Professor of Economics, JNU; Dunu Roy, Director, Hazards Centre; and Dr. Shalini Mishra and Shivani Chaudhry from HLRN.
Some of the core points that the report talks about are as under:
· India’s decision to bid for the Commonwealth Games 2010 was non-transparent and undemocratic and cost the country Rs. 137 crore. India offered US$ 7.2 million to rain athletes of all Commonwealth nations – an offer which allegedly clinched the bid in India’s favour.
· The Government of India and Delhi decided to underwrite costs and budget shortfall of the Games, despite the fact that the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure, Govt. of India, cautioned against it in 2003.
· The budget for the CWG has risen from an initial projection of Rs. 1899 crore to an official figure of Rs. 10000 crore and independent expert estimates of Rs. 30000 crore.
· The expenditure on sports infrastructure is already 2160% of the initial projected budget.
· The increase in the Union Budget allocation for the CWG from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports rose by 6235% from 2005-06 to 2009-10.
· Total expenditure on infrastructure, beautification projects, and security is unknown but likely to be hundreds of crores.
· A July 2009 report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) raised questions on certain financial aspects of the Games, including sponsorships and revenue generation.
· Funds form 2009-10 Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (Special Component Plan) in Delhi have been diverted to cover CWG related expenditures.
· Over one lakh families have already been evicted due to CWG related projects. 44 more JJ clusters are to be removed before the Games and an estimated 30,000 – 40,000 families will be displaced.
· ‘Beggars’ and homeless citizens are being arrested and arbitrarily detained under the Bombay Prevention of Beggary Act 1959. The Department of Social Welfare has announced ‘no-tolerance zones’ in Delhi and plans to send them back to their states of origin.
· There is rampant exploitation of workers at CWG construction sites, including low pay, inadequate living conditions, and lack of safety equipment.
· Experience from around the world has demonstrated that mega sports events results in losses for the host country, especially when security costs are factored in. India’s expenses for the CWG are likely to create a negative financial legacy for the nation, the effects of which are already visible in the form of higher cost of living and taxes for Delhi residents.
· The Games are unlikely to improve sports in India since investment is concentrated on stadiums, which lie largely unused after the event, as in the case of the 1982 Asian Games.
Further, it has been said that the entire process related to the CWG has been essentially underscored by secrecy, unavailability of information, lack of government accountability, and unconstitutional activities, with evidence of long-term economic, social and environmental costs for the nation, and specifically for the city of Delhi. Preparations for the Games have already resulted in an irreversible alteration in the social, spatial, economic, and environmental dimensions of the city of Delhi. Much of this has taken place in contravention of democratic governance and planning processes.
The goal of portraying Delhi as a ‘world-class’ city and an international sports destination, has led the Indian government – both at the state and central level – to lose sight of its priorities and legal and moral commitments to its people.
The economic and social costs of the CWG could be even worse than stated. The cost of the Games could be as enormous as Rs. 70,000 crore, and the number of families already displaced from their homes due to the Games could be as high as over 100,000 (1 lakh).
The scale of the CWG and the excessive costs involved are hard to justify in a country that has glaringly high levels of poverty, hunger, inequality, homelessness, and malnutrition. When one in three Indians lives below the poverty line and 40% of the world’s hungry live in India, when 46% of India’s children and 55% of tis women are malnourished, does spending thousands of crores of rupees on a 12-day sports events build ‘national pride’ or it it a matter of ‘national shame’.
And the recommendations are:
· Need for detailed inquiry into the decision-making and bidding process as well as on the total expenditure of the CWG.
· Need for a full public disclosure of all finances related to the CWG.
· Need for the government to have a long-term legacy plan based on principles of human rights and environmental sustainability.
· Need to investigate those officials who have consistently overstated benefits from the Games, withheld critical information, and misappropriated funds, and prosecute them if they are found guilty.
· Need for a post-games audit and detailed social and environmental impact assessment.
· Need to prevent human rights violations, and for the government to comply with its national and international human rights and environmental legal commitments.
· Need for an investigation into the human rights violations related to the CWG.
· Need to repeal the Bombay Prevention of Beggary Act 1959.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Manual Scavenging: Must be eradicated Right away
By Ram Puniyani
Indian society is riddled with many evil practices, some of which tantamount to atrocity on one or other section of the dalit/deprived sections of society. One such atrocity is the manual scavenging; the removal of human excreta by humans, with the minimum aid of brooms, metal scarpers and buckets. This practice was officially supposed to have been banned in 1993 by the Government of India. Official lapses and apathy apart, the surveys by the activists working against this practice show that even now over 14 lakhs of scavengers are still suffering ignominy and nearly 95% of these workers are women. These scavengers are the untouchables section of dalits, who have been trapped in this occupation as a birth based work. The States have not taken the act of abolition of this practice seriously and even till 1999-2000 many a States had not notified the act. It is in this light that the social action group Safai Karmachari Andolan has given a call for abolition of this atrocity by the end of 2010.
The manual scavenging is an offshoot of the untouchability practiced in India. Many feudal societies have seen the birth based hierarchy of caste but the Indian caste system has been legitimized through Holy Scriptures to make it a religious phenomenon. Many factors have contributed to emergence of caste; Race, class and religion. Currently the race theory does not find much favor with the serious scholars of caste. The major contributing factors have been the economic and religious. In his famous phrase Ambedkar points out that “caste is not a division of labor; it is a division of laborers”. He puts more emphasis on the ideological and religious factors. In his analysis these factors are interwoven as civilizational factors which influenced and resulted in social changes leading to formation of caste system.
The evolution of caste society was a slow process. Its continuance was secured by making it hereditary. The primitive taboo on eating together and intermarriage became caste law, which in turn led to marriage limits and elaborate rules of endogamy and exogamy. The continuance of caste system depended on vast network of sub-castes, which were connected with occupations. This sub-caste – jati – came to have more relevance and became the basis of functioning of Hindu society. As caste became hereditary with close connection between occupation and sub-caste, it resulted in an automatic check on individual moving up in the hierarchy of castes.
Untouchablity is the outcome of this caste system and manual scavenging is the subhuman ex-pression of the same, that being amongst the worst of atrocities perpetrated by the upper caste on the low castes. This is the key concept inherent in purity-pollution, and rebirth theories which were used to enslave the low caste and keep them tied to the subhuman occupation. Khalid Akhtar (Hardnews Media, March 2008) points out that the earliest references to it are found in Narada Samhita and Vajasaneyi Samhita. In Narada Samhita one of the 15 duties listed for untouchables, one is the removal of human excreta. In Vajasaneyi Samhita, Chandalas are referred to as slaves engaged in the disposal of human excreta. Even other dalits look down upon them and all the avenue of social interaction in any form were denied to them.
Excavations at Lotha in Gujarat show that Harappan civilization did have water based sanitation system. The toilets were connected by drains and had manholes and chambers. With the decline of Harappan civilization this technology went into oblivion.
The system of manual scavenging continued in medieval times as well. While the Muslim kings did introduce different techniques at places. As such the communal politics, as is its wont, is trying to propagate that since the Muslims used Burqua, women could not go out to jungles, they introduced manual scavenging. This is another way of putting the blame of internal problems to external source. This is far from truth. Observation and research into the Mughal forts’ sanitation system shows that they had small outlets in the bathing rooms of Mughal forts which were used as toilets. The waste from these toilets was carried by gravitational force to the ramparts with the help of water. This technique has been seen in the Red Fort in Delhi, in the palaces of Rajasthan, in Hampi, Karnataka and in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
The British did claim that they have come here, carrying the “White Man’s Burden” of civilizing the East, but as far as retrograde social practices were concerned they were unconcerned about those. In the case of manual scavenging they put their seal of approval on this by systematizing it and creating the posts of scavengers in army, railways, municipalities and big towns. Barring few places they did not put the sewer lines in most of the places, as they observed that already the system of scavenging is in place. Due to industrial changes, end of craftsmanship and pauperization of a section of society, some of them forced to join in this work.
Ambedkars’ rebellion against caste and his prescription on ‘Annihilation of caste’ and Mahatma Gandhi’s efforts to eradicate untouchabilty, experiments with new designs of toilets, had a minimal effect on the total social situation, as the social transformation has been painfully slow. After partition the untouchables from Pakistan were not permitted to come to India and Indian Government did not try much for the safe passage of this group to India. And here the situations continued as it has been due to which the life was a total humiliation for this section of society persisted. During last many decades the pressure of the social movements is forcing the State authorities to abolish this practice and rehabilitate the scavengers. As usual the State response has been half baked and there is a lack of effectivity in the same. The step of the social movements to do all, advocacy, campaign and other pressures, to ensure that this practice is put to rest is very significant.
One knows that the popular opinion and efforts of all sensitive people to end this are needed at this point of time to remove this blot on Indian society, irrespective of its sanction by the Holy Scriptures and traditional practices. Enough is enough, this atrocity on a section of our society has to be stopped forthwith; they need to be rehabilitated to the life of dignity, come what may.
New Princesses of Alwar
Scavenging has been present since the Pauranic days and prevailed during the Buddhist and Medieval periods. The horrendous practice continued from the days of the Mughals till the time of British rule. Tragically, the practice continues to hold roots in our society.
When Gandhiji came to India from South Africa, he drew everyone’s attention towards this problem. The India Government constituted a number of committees to look into this social problem but offered no solution. Gandhiji dreamt of a society free from the shackles of scavenging but this dream remained unrealized during his life.
One man, one mission by the name of Bindeshwar Pathak brought about a revolution all across the country. Though scavenging has not been eradicated entirely so far, his efforts have lead to making one city – Alwar – scavenger free. His team is working to make few other cities free of scavengers.
Says Bindeshwar Pathak: “In order to study them in depth and to be acquainted with their problems intimately, I went to and lived in a colony of scavengers in Bettiah, an outlying district of Bihar in India. What awaited me there was a depressing and revolting scenario, and I resolved to wipe off the blot of scavenging forever. Two episodes stirred further my conscience and strengthened my resolve. The first incident related to my seeing a newly wedded bride, reluctant to take up the work of scavenging, being forced and driven by here in-laws to clean bucket toilets. The initiation was met with unsuccessful resistance and heart-rending cries and sobs of the bride. My intervention with a view to persuading the in-laws to desist from forcing the daughter-in-law to take to scavenging was met with the rude counter question whether I would be willing to take the responsibility of feeding the daughter-in-law. Obviously my remonstrance melted. The second episode related to a boy being gored by a bull and none of the spectators gathered at the site was willing to intervene to rescue him and take him to a hospital. The boy ultimately died. The reason of non-intervention, I was told, was the fact that the boy was from a scavenger’s family.”
Bindeshwar Pathak further says: “The experience of living in a scavengers’ colony and the two illustrative episodes narrated afore made me think about methods which may end scavenging. I realized that this was possible and the solution lay in replacement of the bucket toilet system. This led me to devise and implement the two-pit, pour-flush, compost toilet system technology for individual households and operating and maintaining public toilets linked with biogas plants attached to Sulabh Effluent Treatment (SET) device, leading to liberation of scavengers from their demeaning profession.”
The new princesses of Alwar are the women of the city who have left scavenging to take to other professions. However, Alwar is just one of the countless cities in India where the practice of manual scavenging is still rampant. There is a serious need to build public perception in this area so that the practice of manual scavenging is eradicated out rightly.
Life Watch Bureau
The manual scavenging is an offshoot of the untouchability practiced in India. Many feudal societies have seen the birth based hierarchy of caste but the Indian caste system has been legitimized through Holy Scriptures to make it a religious phenomenon. Many factors have contributed to emergence of caste; Race, class and religion. Currently the race theory does not find much favor with the serious scholars of caste. The major contributing factors have been the economic and religious. In his famous phrase Ambedkar points out that “caste is not a division of labor; it is a division of laborers”. He puts more emphasis on the ideological and religious factors. In his analysis these factors are interwoven as civilizational factors which influenced and resulted in social changes leading to formation of caste system.
The evolution of caste society was a slow process. Its continuance was secured by making it hereditary. The primitive taboo on eating together and intermarriage became caste law, which in turn led to marriage limits and elaborate rules of endogamy and exogamy. The continuance of caste system depended on vast network of sub-castes, which were connected with occupations. This sub-caste – jati – came to have more relevance and became the basis of functioning of Hindu society. As caste became hereditary with close connection between occupation and sub-caste, it resulted in an automatic check on individual moving up in the hierarchy of castes.
Untouchablity is the outcome of this caste system and manual scavenging is the subhuman ex-pression of the same, that being amongst the worst of atrocities perpetrated by the upper caste on the low castes. This is the key concept inherent in purity-pollution, and rebirth theories which were used to enslave the low caste and keep them tied to the subhuman occupation. Khalid Akhtar (Hardnews Media, March 2008) points out that the earliest references to it are found in Narada Samhita and Vajasaneyi Samhita. In Narada Samhita one of the 15 duties listed for untouchables, one is the removal of human excreta. In Vajasaneyi Samhita, Chandalas are referred to as slaves engaged in the disposal of human excreta. Even other dalits look down upon them and all the avenue of social interaction in any form were denied to them.
Excavations at Lotha in Gujarat show that Harappan civilization did have water based sanitation system. The toilets were connected by drains and had manholes and chambers. With the decline of Harappan civilization this technology went into oblivion.
The system of manual scavenging continued in medieval times as well. While the Muslim kings did introduce different techniques at places. As such the communal politics, as is its wont, is trying to propagate that since the Muslims used Burqua, women could not go out to jungles, they introduced manual scavenging. This is another way of putting the blame of internal problems to external source. This is far from truth. Observation and research into the Mughal forts’ sanitation system shows that they had small outlets in the bathing rooms of Mughal forts which were used as toilets. The waste from these toilets was carried by gravitational force to the ramparts with the help of water. This technique has been seen in the Red Fort in Delhi, in the palaces of Rajasthan, in Hampi, Karnataka and in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
The British did claim that they have come here, carrying the “White Man’s Burden” of civilizing the East, but as far as retrograde social practices were concerned they were unconcerned about those. In the case of manual scavenging they put their seal of approval on this by systematizing it and creating the posts of scavengers in army, railways, municipalities and big towns. Barring few places they did not put the sewer lines in most of the places, as they observed that already the system of scavenging is in place. Due to industrial changes, end of craftsmanship and pauperization of a section of society, some of them forced to join in this work.
Ambedkars’ rebellion against caste and his prescription on ‘Annihilation of caste’ and Mahatma Gandhi’s efforts to eradicate untouchabilty, experiments with new designs of toilets, had a minimal effect on the total social situation, as the social transformation has been painfully slow. After partition the untouchables from Pakistan were not permitted to come to India and Indian Government did not try much for the safe passage of this group to India. And here the situations continued as it has been due to which the life was a total humiliation for this section of society persisted. During last many decades the pressure of the social movements is forcing the State authorities to abolish this practice and rehabilitate the scavengers. As usual the State response has been half baked and there is a lack of effectivity in the same. The step of the social movements to do all, advocacy, campaign and other pressures, to ensure that this practice is put to rest is very significant.
One knows that the popular opinion and efforts of all sensitive people to end this are needed at this point of time to remove this blot on Indian society, irrespective of its sanction by the Holy Scriptures and traditional practices. Enough is enough, this atrocity on a section of our society has to be stopped forthwith; they need to be rehabilitated to the life of dignity, come what may.
New Princesses of Alwar
Scavenging has been present since the Pauranic days and prevailed during the Buddhist and Medieval periods. The horrendous practice continued from the days of the Mughals till the time of British rule. Tragically, the practice continues to hold roots in our society.
When Gandhiji came to India from South Africa, he drew everyone’s attention towards this problem. The India Government constituted a number of committees to look into this social problem but offered no solution. Gandhiji dreamt of a society free from the shackles of scavenging but this dream remained unrealized during his life.
One man, one mission by the name of Bindeshwar Pathak brought about a revolution all across the country. Though scavenging has not been eradicated entirely so far, his efforts have lead to making one city – Alwar – scavenger free. His team is working to make few other cities free of scavengers.
Says Bindeshwar Pathak: “In order to study them in depth and to be acquainted with their problems intimately, I went to and lived in a colony of scavengers in Bettiah, an outlying district of Bihar in India. What awaited me there was a depressing and revolting scenario, and I resolved to wipe off the blot of scavenging forever. Two episodes stirred further my conscience and strengthened my resolve. The first incident related to my seeing a newly wedded bride, reluctant to take up the work of scavenging, being forced and driven by here in-laws to clean bucket toilets. The initiation was met with unsuccessful resistance and heart-rending cries and sobs of the bride. My intervention with a view to persuading the in-laws to desist from forcing the daughter-in-law to take to scavenging was met with the rude counter question whether I would be willing to take the responsibility of feeding the daughter-in-law. Obviously my remonstrance melted. The second episode related to a boy being gored by a bull and none of the spectators gathered at the site was willing to intervene to rescue him and take him to a hospital. The boy ultimately died. The reason of non-intervention, I was told, was the fact that the boy was from a scavenger’s family.”
Bindeshwar Pathak further says: “The experience of living in a scavengers’ colony and the two illustrative episodes narrated afore made me think about methods which may end scavenging. I realized that this was possible and the solution lay in replacement of the bucket toilet system. This led me to devise and implement the two-pit, pour-flush, compost toilet system technology for individual households and operating and maintaining public toilets linked with biogas plants attached to Sulabh Effluent Treatment (SET) device, leading to liberation of scavengers from their demeaning profession.”
The new princesses of Alwar are the women of the city who have left scavenging to take to other professions. However, Alwar is just one of the countless cities in India where the practice of manual scavenging is still rampant. There is a serious need to build public perception in this area so that the practice of manual scavenging is eradicated out rightly.
Life Watch Bureau
Swami Prasad Maurya on whirlwind Ghaziabad tour to pay homage to Mahatma Buddha
Minister in the UP Government, Swami Prasad Maurya came on a whirlwind tour of Ghaziabad to inaugurate a statue of Mahatma Buddha in Ghaziabad. Needless to say, the gathering was mostly of Dalits. To our utter surprise, their leaders were complaining how their organization (that was hosting the program) was at one point of time hijacked by the RSS lobby and how they were able to slowly bring out the organization from under the RSS shackles.
Swami Prasad Maurya made a quick ‘you blink and you miss it’ entry and exit so much so that by the time the people in the pandal got to know of his arrival, he was already gone. The little time that he was there was spent in paying floral tributes to the statue of Mahatma Buddha.
Much to our amazement, as soon as the minister was gone, the local corporator and executive member of Nagar Nigam-Ghaziabad Sanjay Sharma got up on an elevated platform to give a short speech how he got this work sanctioned through his own efforts and the work was completed through his funds.
Reminded us of another some back in which another minister from UP was quick to grab the opportunity of laying the foundations of a mega project in Sonia Gandhi’s own constituency. The project was sanctioned by the Central Government.
Harmful products in day-to-day lives
Gone are the days when the famous poet Saghar Khaiyami wrote: "Dhaniye mein ghore kee leed baniye milayenge, woh din nahin hai dur jab ham hinhinaenge'. Today, we cannot say for sure whether the milk we are giving to children is cow’s milk or has been made from chemicals. The watermelons that we relish as sweet are in fact injected by chemicals. Bananas, mangoes and other fruits that we eat for nutritional benefits have been sprayed or dipped in harmful chemicals. Mustard oil is in most cases mixed with other ingredients and the only thing that varies from brand to brand is the percentage of these ingredients.
The list of potentially harmful chemicals in food items and household products is long. We are greatly exposed to all types of harmful chemicals that exist in food items, personal care products and even in the environment. Everyday household products, including soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, toothpastes and cleansers may contain harmful chemicals.
More and more products are being discovered as having harmful chemicals in them which, over time, penetrates to the inside of our bodies. Studies now are finally being done to link many health conditions to these chemicals such as:
* Increase in Cancer
* Decrease in sexual re productivity
* Changes in hormonal activity
* Neurological Disorders
Increased cases of renal failures, lever disorders, high blood pressures and heart attacks too are linked to the presence of harmful chemicals in day-to-day lives and our changing lifestyles.
There are other related problems as well. Penchant for enhancing profits has made companies put ethics on the shelf. Sale of fake products is on the rise and we have been unable to develop any fool-proof checking mechanism so far. Companies are putting different list of ingredients on labels than the content. They are spending huge money on highlighting certain USPs of the products but are not at all speaking of the harms that the same products may cause to the consumer. Drugs that may cause great harm upon prolonged use are being treated as OTC products and hugely advertised so much so that we are aware of cases where such drugs were advertised even in IPL 20-Twenty. Naturally, such advertisements are being released to invite new consumers, without bothering to tell the harms that these products may cause. Cases of fooling the consumers through deceitful and wrong information too are many.
And there is a third aspect: ignorance of the consumers may cause great harm. For instance, if you have taken Vitamin C (which is good for you), then you should avoid soft drinks like Fanta, Diet Coke, Sprite and Pepsi Max. These drinks contain Sodium Benzoate. A chemical reaction between Vitamin C and Sodium Benzoate creates Benzine, a highly Carcinogenic chemical which has the ability to severely damage the DNA in the Mitochondria to the point that it totally inactivates it, knocks it out altogether. The Mitochondria consumes oxygen to give energy, and if this gets damaged, then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously, often fatally, a whole array of diseases has been tied to the damage to the DNA, including Parkinson’s Disease and quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases.
Is it not time that our soft drink manufacturers that put Sodium Benzoate as ingredient should be told to put the warning on the label?
Not long ago, this Life Watch correspondent had carried a cover feature on the chemical reaction (explosion) which takes place inside the stomach if we take Mentos (or any other product containing mint) with Diet Coke. This explosion is caused by presence of Aspartame in diet drinks along with Acelsultame F. Aspartame poisoning has been scientifically linked to 92 symptoms of disease.
Most European countries have forbidden the importing and use in their country of Aspartame including all makes of Saccharin, (examples: Equal, Nutra-Sweet, Spoonful and Diet Drinks), including 6,000 consumer goods and beverages, sold on the shelves. Yet, penchant to earn quick buck has not stopped us from marketing and selling these consumer goods in market. Even children are being exposed to the risks when Saccharin and other similar products are profusely used in Ice-Creams, injections to sweeten water-melons, etc. Unfortunately, our laws are too impotent to check this menace.
Life Watch is the first newspaper in the country that has realized the enormity of the problem. There is a need to create awareness and lead a campaign against the harmful chemicals in day-to-day life. For past several issues, Life Watch is continuing with this campaign. The campaign has generated good response but more needs to be done. There is a need for all concerned citizens of the country to come and join this campaign in public interest and in the interest of their own well-being and that of their children. There is a need to build pressure on the Government to enact laws and to take corrective measures. And there is a need to build pressure against the perpetuators of such serious crime against humanity so that they feel afraid that the arm of the law could reach to them.
We are demanding the following measures to be taken immediately:
· Government should set up one center-cum-scientific lab in each district in the country where anybody can bring the product of his choice like milk, curd, ghee, oil, sweets, ice-creams, etc. if there is any doubt about the authenticity of the product. In order to keep a check on frivolous cases coming up, a price tag should be kept for testing and in case the product is found to be harmful, the complainant should be asked to tell the source from where the harmful product was obtained. As per the present situation, the concerned departments pick up samples when a complaint is received, but the matter is normally patched up and the only looser is the complainant who has to bear the repercussions of the enmity thus created.
· Government should make it mandatory to list the contents on labels, even in cases of items like shampoos, conditioners, hair dyes, toothpastes, etc. besides drugs.
· A proper mechanism should be developed to check the advertisements being released by the manufacturers to see if any false/misleading message is being imparted through the advertisements.
· Strict rules should be framed so that anybody who gets caught playing with the lives of common people is suitably punished. Special courts should be designated fo. r giving quick justice.
· A nodal agency should be made to carry out the aforementioned tasks.
In case you agree that it is now time to act, kindly get into the act of passing this message to as many people possible.
Md. Aziz Haider
Editor-in-Chief
Life Watch
‘CAPITAL WOES: 22,000 domestic LPG cylinders being sold in black daily’
As per an independent assessment which may vary on day-to-day basis, nearly 22000 domestic LPG cylinders are being sold in black in the Capital on daily basis. All these LPG gas cylinders are being used for commercial activities. The situation is so grim that you go to any roadside eatery, dhaba, sweet shop or restaurant and you will find domestic cylinders being used. This is despite that there are strict guidelines that the domestic LPG cylinders shall not be used for commercial purposes. Despite this, all the eateries, dhabas, sweet shops and restaurants are not only purchasing these cylinders in black, but also using them publicly as if laws don’t matter anymore to them.
The Delhi Government claims that nearly 90 per cent of the ration card holders in the Capital possess LPG connections. But when the authenticity of the ration card holders itself is in doubt, all such claims fall to the ground. In a sample exercise to make biometric ration cards in the Capital recently, a good percentage of ration card holders did not come to take their biometric cards; thereby revealing clearly that a very high percentage of ration cards is fake. It can easily be presumed that a similar situation exists for LPG gas connections in the Capital.
If LPG gas cylinders are being sold in such high numbers in black on daily basis, there remains no doubt that a strong mechanism exists that sells these cylinders in black to buyers. The real sufferer is the domestic consumer who has to wait for many days to get his supply of cylinder. And the sufferer is also the Government which gives subsidy on domestic cylinders but commercial benefits are being derived through this subsidy; often in collusion with the authorities.
The matter came to light when a LPG agency sacked an employee on charges of harassing and taking up fights with the customers and selling the gas cylinders in black. It would have remained a small incident if the sacked employee would have merely sat at home. But the employee started putting all types of pressures on the gas agency owner to reinstate him in job. The local Congress MLA from East Delhi came up to persuade the agency owner on behalf of the sacked employee. Agency’s staff was beaten up in broad daylight. Even the car of the gas agency owner was attacked. Despite complaints to the police the matter was not resolved; thereby revealing that either there was pressure on the police not to act or the police itself was involved in the entire racket. Finally the gas agency owner has got some respite from the goons when the matter was brought to the notice of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and the local MP Sandeep Dikshit. But the sacked employee is still creating pressure to get reinstated. Several employees of the agency have left the job when threatened by this sacked employee.
Unless there are huge monetary benefits involved, this sacked employee would not have spent this amount of energy. Neither would have the politicians and police came up in his support. It is time that we act to put our house in order!
The Delhi Government claims that nearly 90 per cent of the ration card holders in the Capital possess LPG connections. But when the authenticity of the ration card holders itself is in doubt, all such claims fall to the ground. In a sample exercise to make biometric ration cards in the Capital recently, a good percentage of ration card holders did not come to take their biometric cards; thereby revealing clearly that a very high percentage of ration cards is fake. It can easily be presumed that a similar situation exists for LPG gas connections in the Capital.
If LPG gas cylinders are being sold in such high numbers in black on daily basis, there remains no doubt that a strong mechanism exists that sells these cylinders in black to buyers. The real sufferer is the domestic consumer who has to wait for many days to get his supply of cylinder. And the sufferer is also the Government which gives subsidy on domestic cylinders but commercial benefits are being derived through this subsidy; often in collusion with the authorities.
The matter came to light when a LPG agency sacked an employee on charges of harassing and taking up fights with the customers and selling the gas cylinders in black. It would have remained a small incident if the sacked employee would have merely sat at home. But the employee started putting all types of pressures on the gas agency owner to reinstate him in job. The local Congress MLA from East Delhi came up to persuade the agency owner on behalf of the sacked employee. Agency’s staff was beaten up in broad daylight. Even the car of the gas agency owner was attacked. Despite complaints to the police the matter was not resolved; thereby revealing that either there was pressure on the police not to act or the police itself was involved in the entire racket. Finally the gas agency owner has got some respite from the goons when the matter was brought to the notice of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and the local MP Sandeep Dikshit. But the sacked employee is still creating pressure to get reinstated. Several employees of the agency have left the job when threatened by this sacked employee.
Unless there are huge monetary benefits involved, this sacked employee would not have spent this amount of energy. Neither would have the politicians and police came up in his support. It is time that we act to put our house in order!
Empowering the Backwards
Salient Points
1. Clause (3) of Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 must be deleted in order to abolish religious discrimination against Muslim and Christian Dalits
2. All the groups of Muslims and Christians which traditionally share the professions which are carried on by Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist Scheduled Castes must be treated at par with their counterpart Hindu Schedule Castes.
3. No reservation should be extended to all the Muslims just as it should not be extended to all the Hindus. Reservation benefits must be restricted only to socially and educationally backward classes of Muslims and Christians.
4. No division of OBC quota of 27% should be done on religious basis. However mechanisms should be made to ensure that Muslim OBCs get proportionate benefits in OBC quota.
5. To ensure that Muslim OBCs get their due share, Bihar model can be adopted wherein Muslim OBCs are grouped with most backward Hindu groups.
6. To ensure social and educational development of OBCs, on the pattern of Special Component Plan for Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes, 27% of Plan Budget should be earmarked for OBCs which will benefit Muslim OBCs also.
Intro:
The root cause of decline of Muslims in India after independence is their under-representation in the political institutions and bodies of governance such as Parliament, Assemblies, Governments and Panchayats, etc. Anis Ansari, retired IAS officer (Lucknow) gives his views on how to rectify this situation.
Clause (3) of Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 makes it obligatory that a member of Schedule Castes as listed under Article 341 of Constitution must be a Hindu, a Sikh or a neo-Buddhist. This clause bars Muslim and Christian dalits from sharing the benefits of reservation policy both at the Central and the State levels. Specially, this clause results in making Muslim and Christian dalits ineligible for contesting on the seats reserved in Parliament and Assemblies for Schedule Castes. Out of 119 seats reserved in Parliament for Schedule Castes, 36 reserved seats have substantial or majority Muslim population. Similarly, about 200 reserved Assembly seats would have similar population share of Muslims in them. Thus, if clause (3) were deleted, Muslims can almost double their representation in Parliament from the present level of 28 MPs to 28+36 =64 MPs. Their representation in Assemblies too can increase by additional 200 seats. Muslims constitute more than 15% of the total population in the country. In the Indian Parliament having about 550 seats, Muslims’ share should not less than 15% of 550 seats, Muslims’ share should not be less than 15% of 550 MP seats i.e. more than 80 seats.
This enhanced level of representation of Muslims in Parliament and Assemblies can be secured without any constitutional amendment. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order of 1950 is an executive proclamation issued by President of India but approved by Parliament. Clause (3) of this Order can be deleted by a simple majority in Parliament.
Clause (3) of the above Order is plainly arbitrary, unconstitutional and unfair. This view has been taken by Rangnath Mishra Commission which was set up by Congress Government at the Centre. The demand for the deletion of clause (3) is based on the very sound principle of Indian Constitution that no citizen can be discriminated against on the basis of religion, race, caste and sex etc. This clause discriminates against Muslim and Christian dalits on the basis of their religion in as much as members of Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist Schedule Castes obtain benefits of reservation in different fields but Muslim and Christian dalits carrying on the same traditional, caste occupations such as washer-men (Dhobi) Sweepers (Lal Begis) Nat etc. are denied these benefits just because they follow Islam or Christianity.
Steps should be taken to abolish clause (3) of this Order and to include all those groups of Dalit Muslims and Christians as Scheduled Castes whose traditional occupations correspond to those carried on by Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist Schedule Castes. To illustrate, Muslim butchers, weavers, sweepers, vegetable seller etc. must not be treated differently from the same groups of people in Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist communities. Rangnath Mishra Commission made this recommendation very clearly. If the Indian society desires that Muslim poor should participate equally in the development of the country the above religious discrimination must be ended up forthwith.
A few Muslims are demanding reservation for all the Muslims. Muslims should be well advised not to press for this demand and Indian society should be wise enough to reject their demand outright. Under Article 15(3) of the Constitution, State can make special provisions for socially and educationally backward classes of citizens for educational purposes. Under Article 16(4) backward classes of citizens who are inadequately represented in public employment can be given reservation. Under the Indian Constitution all the Hindus cannot be given reservation because not all the Hindus belong to socially and educationally backward classes of citizens. If all the Hindus, who are 82% of the Indian population, per se cannot get reservation, how can all the Muslims be given reservation while they are only 15% of the population. It will be untrue to claim that all the Muslims of the country are socially and educationally backward. Attempt should be made to pick out those sections of Muslims and Christians who are socially and educationally backward and only they should be brought under the reservation safety net. This proposition, besides being unassailable under the Constitution, is also a non-communal approach to mitigating the under-representation of Muslim poor in the structure of governance. Any effort to raise a communal demand will ultimately be misused by the communal forces against Muslims, who are presently lying low. Both before and after the partition of the country, Indian Muslims were damaged due to communal strategies adopted by the leaders. Present and future generations of Muslim must reject any communal strategy for improving their lot in the country.
Pursuing a non-communal approach would be more beneficial to the Muslims for two reasons. Muslims are only about 15% in the country. If they want their voice to be heard they must build up bridges of amity and goodwill with Hindus and other communities to obtain support of at least 51% of the population. Secondly, Prophet Mohammad observed that love of the country is part of the faith of Muslims. Thus, it is a religious duty of Muslims to have amicable relations with the countrymen of other religions also in order to be good practicing Muslims.
In some quarters, a suggestion has been made that out of 27% quota reserved for other backward classes (OBCs), about 1/3 of 227% i.e. 9% quota should be created for Muslims. This is also not a wise suggestion. This suggestion implies that all the Muslims should get benefits of reservation even if they do not belong to socially and educationally backward classes of the society. It has already been clarified in the beginning that like all Hindus all Muslims cannot claim and should not be given the benefits of reservation.
Sometimes it is suggested that about one third of 27% i.e. 9% quota may be reserved for Muslim OBCs. Rangnath Mishra Commission has recommended that out of 27% reservation for OBCs, 6% should be reserved for Muslim OBCs. In the long run, this suggestion will also damage Muslim poor because this suggestion amounts to separating Muslim OBCs from Hindu OBCs on religious lines. It is agreed that Muslim OBCs so far have not been able to secure even 1/3rd out of 27% of jobs reserved for OBCs. But to achieve this objective, creating a divide among OBCs on the basis of their religion would be harmful both to the Muslim OBCs and to the OBCs in general. Muslim OBCs and Hindu OBCs combined can fight out the ill-effects of social downgrading inflicted by casteist groups more effectively by working together rather than working separately as Muslim OBCs and Hindu OBCs.
A better strategy to ensure Muslim OBCs get their due share would be to adopt Bihar model. In Bihar, OBCs have been divided into 2 groups: Backwards and Most Backwards. Most Backwards include Muslim OBCs also. Most Backwards get higher quota than Backwards. This is a non-communal approach which will be more beneficial to the Muslim OBCs.
To ensure social and economic development of members of Schedule Caste & Schedule Tribes Government of India earmarks about 21% of Plan Budget as Special Component Plan every year. This amount is utilized for construction of pakka roads, school buildings, power, hand pumps, drainage, centres of public health and scholarship etc. for the areas pre-dominated by these communities. If a similar provision is made for OBCs by earmarking 27% Plan funds, it will benefit Muslim poor in a big way. Roughly speaking every year 2.5 lakh crores are budgeted as plan expenditure in the country. 27% of this amount (Rs. 67,500 crores) is a big amount. Even if one third of this amount reaches Muslim OBCs, any effort to give it a communal colour is likely to fail. Even small segment of those persons who keep raising artificially the issue of appeasement of Muslims would not be able to come out against this demand because this demand is in favour of more than half of India’s population which is included in OBC category. In a democratic set up to oppose more than half the population would be like hitting oneself with one’s axe.
(The writer is the Chairman, Muslim Dalit Reservation Movement)
1. Clause (3) of Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 must be deleted in order to abolish religious discrimination against Muslim and Christian Dalits
2. All the groups of Muslims and Christians which traditionally share the professions which are carried on by Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist Scheduled Castes must be treated at par with their counterpart Hindu Schedule Castes.
3. No reservation should be extended to all the Muslims just as it should not be extended to all the Hindus. Reservation benefits must be restricted only to socially and educationally backward classes of Muslims and Christians.
4. No division of OBC quota of 27% should be done on religious basis. However mechanisms should be made to ensure that Muslim OBCs get proportionate benefits in OBC quota.
5. To ensure that Muslim OBCs get their due share, Bihar model can be adopted wherein Muslim OBCs are grouped with most backward Hindu groups.
6. To ensure social and educational development of OBCs, on the pattern of Special Component Plan for Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes, 27% of Plan Budget should be earmarked for OBCs which will benefit Muslim OBCs also.
Intro:
The root cause of decline of Muslims in India after independence is their under-representation in the political institutions and bodies of governance such as Parliament, Assemblies, Governments and Panchayats, etc. Anis Ansari, retired IAS officer (Lucknow) gives his views on how to rectify this situation.
Clause (3) of Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 makes it obligatory that a member of Schedule Castes as listed under Article 341 of Constitution must be a Hindu, a Sikh or a neo-Buddhist. This clause bars Muslim and Christian dalits from sharing the benefits of reservation policy both at the Central and the State levels. Specially, this clause results in making Muslim and Christian dalits ineligible for contesting on the seats reserved in Parliament and Assemblies for Schedule Castes. Out of 119 seats reserved in Parliament for Schedule Castes, 36 reserved seats have substantial or majority Muslim population. Similarly, about 200 reserved Assembly seats would have similar population share of Muslims in them. Thus, if clause (3) were deleted, Muslims can almost double their representation in Parliament from the present level of 28 MPs to 28+36 =64 MPs. Their representation in Assemblies too can increase by additional 200 seats. Muslims constitute more than 15% of the total population in the country. In the Indian Parliament having about 550 seats, Muslims’ share should not less than 15% of 550 seats, Muslims’ share should not be less than 15% of 550 MP seats i.e. more than 80 seats.
This enhanced level of representation of Muslims in Parliament and Assemblies can be secured without any constitutional amendment. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order of 1950 is an executive proclamation issued by President of India but approved by Parliament. Clause (3) of this Order can be deleted by a simple majority in Parliament.
Clause (3) of the above Order is plainly arbitrary, unconstitutional and unfair. This view has been taken by Rangnath Mishra Commission which was set up by Congress Government at the Centre. The demand for the deletion of clause (3) is based on the very sound principle of Indian Constitution that no citizen can be discriminated against on the basis of religion, race, caste and sex etc. This clause discriminates against Muslim and Christian dalits on the basis of their religion in as much as members of Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist Schedule Castes obtain benefits of reservation in different fields but Muslim and Christian dalits carrying on the same traditional, caste occupations such as washer-men (Dhobi) Sweepers (Lal Begis) Nat etc. are denied these benefits just because they follow Islam or Christianity.
Steps should be taken to abolish clause (3) of this Order and to include all those groups of Dalit Muslims and Christians as Scheduled Castes whose traditional occupations correspond to those carried on by Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist Schedule Castes. To illustrate, Muslim butchers, weavers, sweepers, vegetable seller etc. must not be treated differently from the same groups of people in Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist communities. Rangnath Mishra Commission made this recommendation very clearly. If the Indian society desires that Muslim poor should participate equally in the development of the country the above religious discrimination must be ended up forthwith.
A few Muslims are demanding reservation for all the Muslims. Muslims should be well advised not to press for this demand and Indian society should be wise enough to reject their demand outright. Under Article 15(3) of the Constitution, State can make special provisions for socially and educationally backward classes of citizens for educational purposes. Under Article 16(4) backward classes of citizens who are inadequately represented in public employment can be given reservation. Under the Indian Constitution all the Hindus cannot be given reservation because not all the Hindus belong to socially and educationally backward classes of citizens. If all the Hindus, who are 82% of the Indian population, per se cannot get reservation, how can all the Muslims be given reservation while they are only 15% of the population. It will be untrue to claim that all the Muslims of the country are socially and educationally backward. Attempt should be made to pick out those sections of Muslims and Christians who are socially and educationally backward and only they should be brought under the reservation safety net. This proposition, besides being unassailable under the Constitution, is also a non-communal approach to mitigating the under-representation of Muslim poor in the structure of governance. Any effort to raise a communal demand will ultimately be misused by the communal forces against Muslims, who are presently lying low. Both before and after the partition of the country, Indian Muslims were damaged due to communal strategies adopted by the leaders. Present and future generations of Muslim must reject any communal strategy for improving their lot in the country.
Pursuing a non-communal approach would be more beneficial to the Muslims for two reasons. Muslims are only about 15% in the country. If they want their voice to be heard they must build up bridges of amity and goodwill with Hindus and other communities to obtain support of at least 51% of the population. Secondly, Prophet Mohammad observed that love of the country is part of the faith of Muslims. Thus, it is a religious duty of Muslims to have amicable relations with the countrymen of other religions also in order to be good practicing Muslims.
In some quarters, a suggestion has been made that out of 27% quota reserved for other backward classes (OBCs), about 1/3 of 227% i.e. 9% quota should be created for Muslims. This is also not a wise suggestion. This suggestion implies that all the Muslims should get benefits of reservation even if they do not belong to socially and educationally backward classes of the society. It has already been clarified in the beginning that like all Hindus all Muslims cannot claim and should not be given the benefits of reservation.
Sometimes it is suggested that about one third of 27% i.e. 9% quota may be reserved for Muslim OBCs. Rangnath Mishra Commission has recommended that out of 27% reservation for OBCs, 6% should be reserved for Muslim OBCs. In the long run, this suggestion will also damage Muslim poor because this suggestion amounts to separating Muslim OBCs from Hindu OBCs on religious lines. It is agreed that Muslim OBCs so far have not been able to secure even 1/3rd out of 27% of jobs reserved for OBCs. But to achieve this objective, creating a divide among OBCs on the basis of their religion would be harmful both to the Muslim OBCs and to the OBCs in general. Muslim OBCs and Hindu OBCs combined can fight out the ill-effects of social downgrading inflicted by casteist groups more effectively by working together rather than working separately as Muslim OBCs and Hindu OBCs.
A better strategy to ensure Muslim OBCs get their due share would be to adopt Bihar model. In Bihar, OBCs have been divided into 2 groups: Backwards and Most Backwards. Most Backwards include Muslim OBCs also. Most Backwards get higher quota than Backwards. This is a non-communal approach which will be more beneficial to the Muslim OBCs.
To ensure social and economic development of members of Schedule Caste & Schedule Tribes Government of India earmarks about 21% of Plan Budget as Special Component Plan every year. This amount is utilized for construction of pakka roads, school buildings, power, hand pumps, drainage, centres of public health and scholarship etc. for the areas pre-dominated by these communities. If a similar provision is made for OBCs by earmarking 27% Plan funds, it will benefit Muslim poor in a big way. Roughly speaking every year 2.5 lakh crores are budgeted as plan expenditure in the country. 27% of this amount (Rs. 67,500 crores) is a big amount. Even if one third of this amount reaches Muslim OBCs, any effort to give it a communal colour is likely to fail. Even small segment of those persons who keep raising artificially the issue of appeasement of Muslims would not be able to come out against this demand because this demand is in favour of more than half of India’s population which is included in OBC category. In a democratic set up to oppose more than half the population would be like hitting oneself with one’s axe.
(The writer is the Chairman, Muslim Dalit Reservation Movement)
UNCONSTITUTIONALLY YOURS!
(By Md. Aziz Haider, Editor-in-Chief, Life Watch newspaper; pass it on to as many people possible in Public Interest)
Do you know that the mammoth exercise of Census 2011 being carried out by the Government has no column for your religion, linguistic background and whether you are an OBC but demands to know if you are SC/SC, with an explicit remark that SC/SC can only be a Hindu, a Sikh or a Buddhist.
The entire exercise thus becomes a mockery and a serious rebuke to the demand of the Muslims and right-thinking secular individuals from all religions to include SC/STs who have converted to Islam under the privileged category just as SCs/STs who have converted to Sikhism or Budhism are enjoying the benefits of reservation. Muslims have been demanding that it is unconstitutional and unjustified that a Muslim dhobi is kept out of the SC/ST purview but a Hindu, Buddhist or Sikh dhobi is given the benefits of being a SC/ST. Likewise with other professions! It is clear that the Muslim SC/STs are being kept out of the reservation only because of their religion and it is time and again being told to Muslims that the Constitution of India has no provisions for granting reservations on the basis of religion. We agree that our great Constitution has no provisions for granting reservation on the basis of religion, but nobody has cared to tell whether it has a clause for exclusion, on the basis of religion.
It appears therefore that the Government is not serious at all of giving Muslim SC/STs their due share and the removal of the ‘religion’ column is also aimed at ensuring that no true count of Muslims will henceforth be available, leave alone the count of SCs/STs among them. Among the Hindus, while there is a separate column for SCs/STs, ‘OBCs and others’ have been clubbed together, thus ensuring that the count of OBCs too cannot be known through this census. Government employees carrying the survey are either ticking in the SC/ST column (in case the family is a SC/ST adhering to Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism) or are ticking in the ‘OBC or others’ column’ thereby raising a question as to why the column of ‘OBC’ has been clubbed together with ‘others’; as if the Government is not concerned about knowing their number.
Life Watch has been giving reports from certain states, particularly Uttar Pradesh, wherein Mayawati government has more or less finalized the decision to give separate reservation for Muslim OBCs in Government jobs. Congress’s decision not to count the OBCs is certainly aimed at denying this privilege to the Muslims.
The Census 2011 is unique on many accounts. The sheer magnitude of the survey itself makes it a unique exercise. Secondly, from the outset, it appears that a very detailed survey is being undertaken wherein information regarding whether you live in your own accommodation or rented one, number of rooms, whether there is a separate kitchen, sever connection, whether possessing cycle, scooter, car, TV, radio, mobile, etc. is sought in detail besides detailed information regarding number of people in family, their age, place of birth, parentage, etc. is demanded.
But eyebrows are bound to raise when such a mammoth exercise with such a detailed survey form does not bother to know the religion you adhere to, the language that your mother speaks and also attempts to count the SCs/STs but leaves OBCs outside the purview of the survey.
The True Count
For years since Independence, the true count of Muslims in India has always been kept under veil. While the Government kept on insisting for a long time that the Muslims were between 10 and 12 per cent, self-assessment done by Muslims and several social organizations was of the opinion that their population was anywhere between 15 and 20%. This was also reflected in the large-scale upheavals that the Muslims were able to bring about whenever they voted en masse.
Succeeding Governments had an inkling that the Muslim population was far more than they were certifying it to be. As the Muslims came out of the trauma of partition and started becoming aware, it was not possible to keep away a chunk of the population from the Census. That is why the subject of Muslims producing large number of children was raised time and again. This was despite the fact that several independent surveys have revealed that number of children in Muslim families are same if not less than the number of children in Hindu families; the only difference is the difference in their social and economic status. The number of children in similar social and economic conditions is same for Hindus and Muslims. But since greater percentage of Muslims is illiterate and live in slum-like conditions, the average percentage rise of Muslims is more even if their Hindu brethren living in same slums and subscribing to same mode of life are producing equal number of children.
Solution therefore is education and social upliftment of Muslims, which successive governments have continued to ignore, and not religion. Sacchar Committee and Rajinder Mishra Commission, who attempted to reach at the root of the problem, too have concluded that the only solution is to bring back the Muslims in social mainstream through education and economic upliftment.
If such a grand exercise was being carried out, the Government must have ensured that the survey form was so designed that all the essential information gets available through the Census. Even if Muslims are really producing more children, as claimed by few, the Census would have revealed the percentage of their rise since the last census so that proactive measures can be undertaken to know the reason and find solutions to keep their population under check.
It is time the Government gives a clarification to all the Muslims, the OBCs and all right-thinking secular people of the country regarding the reasons for these gross omissions.
Do you know that the mammoth exercise of Census 2011 being carried out by the Government has no column for your religion, linguistic background and whether you are an OBC but demands to know if you are SC/SC, with an explicit remark that SC/SC can only be a Hindu, a Sikh or a Buddhist.
The entire exercise thus becomes a mockery and a serious rebuke to the demand of the Muslims and right-thinking secular individuals from all religions to include SC/STs who have converted to Islam under the privileged category just as SCs/STs who have converted to Sikhism or Budhism are enjoying the benefits of reservation. Muslims have been demanding that it is unconstitutional and unjustified that a Muslim dhobi is kept out of the SC/ST purview but a Hindu, Buddhist or Sikh dhobi is given the benefits of being a SC/ST. Likewise with other professions! It is clear that the Muslim SC/STs are being kept out of the reservation only because of their religion and it is time and again being told to Muslims that the Constitution of India has no provisions for granting reservations on the basis of religion. We agree that our great Constitution has no provisions for granting reservation on the basis of religion, but nobody has cared to tell whether it has a clause for exclusion, on the basis of religion.
It appears therefore that the Government is not serious at all of giving Muslim SC/STs their due share and the removal of the ‘religion’ column is also aimed at ensuring that no true count of Muslims will henceforth be available, leave alone the count of SCs/STs among them. Among the Hindus, while there is a separate column for SCs/STs, ‘OBCs and others’ have been clubbed together, thus ensuring that the count of OBCs too cannot be known through this census. Government employees carrying the survey are either ticking in the SC/ST column (in case the family is a SC/ST adhering to Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism) or are ticking in the ‘OBC or others’ column’ thereby raising a question as to why the column of ‘OBC’ has been clubbed together with ‘others’; as if the Government is not concerned about knowing their number.
Life Watch has been giving reports from certain states, particularly Uttar Pradesh, wherein Mayawati government has more or less finalized the decision to give separate reservation for Muslim OBCs in Government jobs. Congress’s decision not to count the OBCs is certainly aimed at denying this privilege to the Muslims.
The Census 2011 is unique on many accounts. The sheer magnitude of the survey itself makes it a unique exercise. Secondly, from the outset, it appears that a very detailed survey is being undertaken wherein information regarding whether you live in your own accommodation or rented one, number of rooms, whether there is a separate kitchen, sever connection, whether possessing cycle, scooter, car, TV, radio, mobile, etc. is sought in detail besides detailed information regarding number of people in family, their age, place of birth, parentage, etc. is demanded.
But eyebrows are bound to raise when such a mammoth exercise with such a detailed survey form does not bother to know the religion you adhere to, the language that your mother speaks and also attempts to count the SCs/STs but leaves OBCs outside the purview of the survey.
The True Count
For years since Independence, the true count of Muslims in India has always been kept under veil. While the Government kept on insisting for a long time that the Muslims were between 10 and 12 per cent, self-assessment done by Muslims and several social organizations was of the opinion that their population was anywhere between 15 and 20%. This was also reflected in the large-scale upheavals that the Muslims were able to bring about whenever they voted en masse.
Succeeding Governments had an inkling that the Muslim population was far more than they were certifying it to be. As the Muslims came out of the trauma of partition and started becoming aware, it was not possible to keep away a chunk of the population from the Census. That is why the subject of Muslims producing large number of children was raised time and again. This was despite the fact that several independent surveys have revealed that number of children in Muslim families are same if not less than the number of children in Hindu families; the only difference is the difference in their social and economic status. The number of children in similar social and economic conditions is same for Hindus and Muslims. But since greater percentage of Muslims is illiterate and live in slum-like conditions, the average percentage rise of Muslims is more even if their Hindu brethren living in same slums and subscribing to same mode of life are producing equal number of children.
Solution therefore is education and social upliftment of Muslims, which successive governments have continued to ignore, and not religion. Sacchar Committee and Rajinder Mishra Commission, who attempted to reach at the root of the problem, too have concluded that the only solution is to bring back the Muslims in social mainstream through education and economic upliftment.
If such a grand exercise was being carried out, the Government must have ensured that the survey form was so designed that all the essential information gets available through the Census. Even if Muslims are really producing more children, as claimed by few, the Census would have revealed the percentage of their rise since the last census so that proactive measures can be undertaken to know the reason and find solutions to keep their population under check.
It is time the Government gives a clarification to all the Muslims, the OBCs and all right-thinking secular people of the country regarding the reasons for these gross omissions.
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