The Rajinder Sachar Committee’s report on the status of the Muslims of India holds greater relevance when it is officially acknowledged that the Muslims of India are lagging behind socially, economically as well as politically. Its recommendation to improve the status of the community in every perspective should be taken on a honest basis and it shows that there is a concern on the part of the government to uplift the community which is still few decades behind in every dimensions. It is left up to the Government of India to implement the strategy devised by the Sachar Committee for the upliftment and development of the community. Speculations are ripe on the very fact that the congress led UPA Government at the centre is taking leap in its strategy of appeasing the community which is unofficially recognised as the vote bank of the Congress party. Whether the concern for uplifting the community is a form of pleasing the community leaders in the garb of appeasement or in fact the real concern will be unfolded in days to come.
Here even if the Rajinder Sachar Committee’s report is implemented, the prospect of uplifting and developing the community in every field will be a half hearted strategy until and unless the community leaders as well as all the organisation of the community realise the fact that much politicisation had taken place and its time now to give a heavy push to uplift the society with a united hand. It is not only the sole concern of the government, but the members of the society too have a very big role and the strategy to improve the pitiable condition of the society can only be improved and which solely rests upon the members of the community. It should be acknowledged that constitutionally the Muslims are at par with all the other Indian citizens but on practical grounds much discrimination takes place against the society and there is no need to cite any examples on these discriminatory issues. It should be remembered that the community shall always be proceeding downstream until and unless the thought to reform, develop and uplift the society doesn’t spring from its members. A sick body can understand its sickness and if there is no consciousness on the part of this sick body to be healed from diseases than even the specialist will fail.
In all the other parts of the country all the Muslim welfare organizations had been working on all fronts to educate, improve the condition of the underprivileged, etc by various means of contribution and their hard labour is yielding positive results.
It is awkward to hear that in Nagaland there exist many Muslim welfare organizations yet the strategy and the intention to develop the society is lacking on a close study. I agree that often environment are not suitable but the pertinent question is if there is intention of doing so, then even hostile environment will not act as deterrent. Simply blaming the environment will not suffice, when there is no concern on the part of all the Muslim associations or council.
Till so far despite having so many Muslim unions I have never come across an orphanage where Muslim orphans can be accommodated, there isn’t any contributory fund meant to ameliorate the helpless condition of a widow who had lost her husband, there isn’t any community schools which can educate the deprived children of the community on a contributory basis, there isn’t any fund meant to help a needy student to continue his or her studies and assisting them with books and study materials, etc. There are wide reports of instances in which an unclaimed dead body of a Muslim is left unattended but through the help of some noble Muslim youths, the last rites could be completed.
In taking note of all these shortcomings on the part of all the Muslim welfare organs based in the state I don’t think that it’s proper to affix the name of the community in their organizational set up for their failures.
In this endeavour, the need of the hour is for all those enlightened Muslim youths to come forward and through voluntary contributions collected from the willing contributors of the society, the task to ameliorate the pitiable conditions of many within the community should be taken up in the required fields in every perspective and beside these there are innumerable tasks needed to be taken up for uplifting the community.
Shaikh Salim Ahmed
Dimapur
