5 per cent quota for Muslims in AP

[Mayavi Morpheus]

How did this piece of news miss our attention?



http://us.rediff.com/news/2004/jul/13ap.htm



The Congress government in Andhra Pradesh has announced a five per cent quota for Muslims in educational institutions and government jobs in the state.

The community has been included into the backward classes for this purpose.



The reservations will come into force with immediate effect.



With this, the Congress government has fulfilled a key promise made to the minorities in its manifesto for the recent assembly election.



The government order is likely to be given statutory backing through enactment of a Bill in the budget session of the assembly.



Government sources said the reservations were announced based on an in-depth study of the socio-economic condition of the Muslim community conducted by the Commissionerate of Minorities Welfare. The study focused mainly on the living conditions, occupational profile, income and literacy levels of the community.



As per the 1991 census, the population of minorities in the state is 72 lakh, or 11 percent of the total population. Muslims account for 8.5 per cent of the state's population.



The CMW study revealed that around two-thirds of the Muslims in the state live below the poverty line and another 16 per cent have annual incomes below Rs 44,000.



The literacy rate among the Muslims is only 18 per cent as per the 1991 census. It falls further to 4 per cent among Muslim women.



The study revealed that a majority of Muslims are engaged in petty businesses like running pan shops or tea stalls, selling fruits or flowers or working as labourers in engineering workshops.



The community in the rural parts of the state comprises mainly artisans.



Both the Congress and Telugu Desam had promised reservations for Muslims on the eve of the assembly election. The then chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had offered 3 per cent quota to the community if his party returned to power in the state.



The Congress, on the other hand, had promised 5 per cent.

[CtrlAltDel]

this is a 'vote-bank' gimmick...

reservation shud only be for poor ppl of any religion/caste

[Mayavi Morpheus]

My comments on the bolded parts:



1. in educational institutions and government jobs in the state.



What is the percentage of muslims studying in Recognized schools? I say recognized cos AFAIK, many muslims study in madrassas which are not recognized. We already have enough minority institutes for professional studies, so why do we need quota again.

Regarding jobs, what is the percentage of educated muslims who apply for jobs? Are they discriminated against? Will reservation help if they are not educated in the first case?



2. backward classes :

By definition, backward classes are Hindus who were suppressed from ages and not allowed to obtain education. As a direct result their over all competence dropped and needed reservation to compete with the forward castes. Never in the history of India were muslims supressed. In the last thousand years India was ruled my muslim rulers and had access to education. So, Is it justified to categorise them as backward class?



3. Muslims account for 8.5 per cent of the state's population



Isnt 5% reservation for 8.5 population more? Conisder the age profile and literacy levels, not more than 20 % of population is in the age group of 20 - 30, so isnt 5 % reservation unfair to the other part of population?



4. two-thirds of the Muslims in the state live below the poverty line



Some thing needs to be done to uplift these poor people. Reservation is not the solution.



5. The literacy rate among the Muslims is only 18 per cent as per the 1991 census. It falls further to 4 per cent among Muslim women.

That is very low, I dunno the source and I jsut cant believe this statistic. National literacy rate for Men is around 70 and for women is around 50.

Anyway, what is the reason for low literacy rate? Is it poverty or un-recognized schools? Only 4 % women are educated, that is shocking news.



So, all this is a political gimmick? Do muslims really need reservation in jobs? What are the alternatives? Can the government simply not raise awareness and spend money on building more schools for minorities instead of creating reservations and decreasing the produtivity of the government instituitions. Is'nt it better to spend the money on Job creating schemes rather than make people fight for the same jobs?



What effect does it have on the so called Forward caste students? Doesnt it fuel passions and result in more communal tensions? remember the 1990 riots?

[MoonMist]

I dont agree with this reservation.



There are maybe muslims who r feeling happy about it, but then i dont think they realize that v (muslims) r being categorized as backward classes for the so-called 5% reservation and i dont agree with this norm. Period.



And the statistics which MM has stated go to prove that its not the muslims alone who need reservation... Govt. shud focus more on upliftment of the society rather than reservations I know maybe some ppl will disagree, but they r free to voice their opinions.



What say MM????

[akhilis2cool]

The reservations are certainly a political gimmick. they will only make the other so called forward caste people jealous. remember some time back even the jain people were declared as back ward!!!! even though they are well educated and well above the poverty line.



and the 1991 census as a proof is of no use 14 yrs is lot and the actual stats i am sure will be different.

[The Rainmaker]

2. backward classes :

3. Muslims account for 8.5 per cent of the state's population

you've got a great point there, MM. Its yet another gimmick of the Congress, thats all !!