The Maharashtra government should establish a committee to inquire why there are a disproportionate number of Muslims in jail, but it is contingent upon to the community to take it upon themselves to reform Muslim Personal Law to make it more equitable for women.
These are among the recommendations of the Mahmoodur Rahman Committee, which submitted a comprehensive survey of the social, economic and educational conditions of Muslims in Maharashtra to the state government in October 2013.
The Congress-led government had constituted the six-member committee in 2008, but now that its study is complete, the state has not yet tabled the report in the Assembly and has shown no signs of making its contents public.
However, the non-profit Movement for Peace and Justice managed to get a copy of the report, seven months after applying for it through a Right to Information petition. The report reveals shocking statistics about the high levels of poverty, low levels of education and poor access to jobs, healthcare, bank loans and housing among Maharashtra’s Muslims. In fact, urban Muslims in the state are poorer than Maharashtra’s scheduled castes and tribes.
In an interim report submitted in 2011, the committee noted that the state government had not really taken any concrete action in response to the recommendations made in other reports on Muslims, creating alienation and despondency in the community.
Here are some of the major recommendations contained in the final report.
For poverty and employment: Muslims form 10.6% of Maharashtra’s population. The report suggests instituting an 8% reservation quota for Muslims in government employment, housing and even educational institutions. It stresses the need for transparency in the conditions for issuing Below Poverty Line cards, which are required for citizens to become eligible for various government schemes. It also recommends making provisions for land to be allotted to poor Muslim agricultural labourers.
The report proposes that the Other Backward Castes list be expanded to include Muslim OBCs, and also classifying Dalit Muslims from the Khatik, Mehtar, Dhobi, Mochi, Momin and Julaha communities as scheduled castes. The state needs an Equal Opportunities Commission, it says, to ensure that equality and non-discrimination are being followed in schools, government departments, employment agencies and private and public sectors.
For education: The absence of quality educational institutions in Muslim-dominated areas is one of the biggest concerns for the community, and the report suggests opening more English and Marathi schools in these neighbourhoods, while also giving importance to the Urdu language. The state needs to open more girls’ colleges and student hostels in Muslim areas, and must make scholarships easier to get for people who may not have the necessary documents.
Most prominently, the report recommends immediate revival of the Area Intensive Scheme for minority education, which had been proposed by the central government’s National Policy on Education in 1992 but got merged with the Modernisation of Madrasa Scheme in the 10th Five Year Plan. The aim of the scheme was to study the problems of individual minority pockets and address their specific problems and educational needs through public-private partnerships. The Mahmoodur Rahman report recommends keeping such intervention time-bound, for up to five years.
Another issue raised by the report is the need to revise textbooks so that they do not portray Muslims as aggressors or outsiders. Teachers also need sensitisation to prevent discrimination.
For health: The report stresses that family planning services offered to Muslims must keep in mind their needs – often, only sterilisation services are offered when what they may need more help for is help to increase spacing between children. The community also needs more anganwadis and balwadis.
In addition, stereotypes and biases held by staff members of public healthcare centres must be addressed: they must be sensitised so that they don’t make derogatory comments about Muslims.
For women: The report suggests starting a women’s cell within the State Minorities Commission to address the specific problems they face, and having a special provision for Muslim women within the gender budgeting of the state.
However, the onus is on community members to bring reform within the Muslim Personal Law so that it is fair to women. In order the promote gender equality, the personal law needs to prohibit arbitrary talaq and make the giving of alimony to women compulsory.
To address discrimination: The report recommends setting up a committee to inquire into disproportionate number of Muslims in jails, and setting up a legal aid cell within the State Minorities Commission so that those who feel they have been arrested without sufficient reason have a place to turn. The police, too, must be sensitised so that they deal with Muslims with fairness.
The report spells out the need for a strong Anti-Discrimination Act, in line with the one for scheduled castes and tribes, to provide visibility to justice being extended to minority communities. This could also prevent discrimination in the housing sector.
In addition, the report suggests maintaining a state-level data bank on the condition of minorities, constantly updated by government authorities and shared online for transparency. This will help repeal damaging stereotypes about the community.
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These are among the recommendations of the Mahmoodur Rahman Committee, which submitted a comprehensive survey of the social, economic and educational conditions of Muslims in Maharashtra to the state government in October 2013.
The Congress-led government had constituted the six-member committee in 2008, but now that its study is complete, the state has not yet tabled the report in the Assembly and has shown no signs of making its contents public.
However, the non-profit Movement for Peace and Justice managed to get a copy of the report, seven months after applying for it through a Right to Information petition. The report reveals shocking statistics about the high levels of poverty, low levels of education and poor access to jobs, healthcare, bank loans and housing among Maharashtra’s Muslims. In fact, urban Muslims in the state are poorer than Maharashtra’s scheduled castes and tribes.
In an interim report submitted in 2011, the committee noted that the state government had not really taken any concrete action in response to the recommendations made in other reports on Muslims, creating alienation and despondency in the community.
Here are some of the major recommendations contained in the final report.
For poverty and employment: Muslims form 10.6% of Maharashtra’s population. The report suggests instituting an 8% reservation quota for Muslims in government employment, housing and even educational institutions. It stresses the need for transparency in the conditions for issuing Below Poverty Line cards, which are required for citizens to become eligible for various government schemes. It also recommends making provisions for land to be allotted to poor Muslim agricultural labourers.
The report proposes that the Other Backward Castes list be expanded to include Muslim OBCs, and also classifying Dalit Muslims from the Khatik, Mehtar, Dhobi, Mochi, Momin and Julaha communities as scheduled castes. The state needs an Equal Opportunities Commission, it says, to ensure that equality and non-discrimination are being followed in schools, government departments, employment agencies and private and public sectors.
For education: The absence of quality educational institutions in Muslim-dominated areas is one of the biggest concerns for the community, and the report suggests opening more English and Marathi schools in these neighbourhoods, while also giving importance to the Urdu language. The state needs to open more girls’ colleges and student hostels in Muslim areas, and must make scholarships easier to get for people who may not have the necessary documents.
Most prominently, the report recommends immediate revival of the Area Intensive Scheme for minority education, which had been proposed by the central government’s National Policy on Education in 1992 but got merged with the Modernisation of Madrasa Scheme in the 10th Five Year Plan. The aim of the scheme was to study the problems of individual minority pockets and address their specific problems and educational needs through public-private partnerships. The Mahmoodur Rahman report recommends keeping such intervention time-bound, for up to five years.
Another issue raised by the report is the need to revise textbooks so that they do not portray Muslims as aggressors or outsiders. Teachers also need sensitisation to prevent discrimination.
For health: The report stresses that family planning services offered to Muslims must keep in mind their needs – often, only sterilisation services are offered when what they may need more help for is help to increase spacing between children. The community also needs more anganwadis and balwadis.
In addition, stereotypes and biases held by staff members of public healthcare centres must be addressed: they must be sensitised so that they don’t make derogatory comments about Muslims.
For women: The report suggests starting a women’s cell within the State Minorities Commission to address the specific problems they face, and having a special provision for Muslim women within the gender budgeting of the state.
However, the onus is on community members to bring reform within the Muslim Personal Law so that it is fair to women. In order the promote gender equality, the personal law needs to prohibit arbitrary talaq and make the giving of alimony to women compulsory.
To address discrimination: The report recommends setting up a committee to inquire into disproportionate number of Muslims in jails, and setting up a legal aid cell within the State Minorities Commission so that those who feel they have been arrested without sufficient reason have a place to turn. The police, too, must be sensitised so that they deal with Muslims with fairness.
The report spells out the need for a strong Anti-Discrimination Act, in line with the one for scheduled castes and tribes, to provide visibility to justice being extended to minority communities. This could also prevent discrimination in the housing sector.
In addition, the report suggests maintaining a state-level data bank on the condition of minorities, constantly updated by government authorities and shared online for transparency. This will help repeal damaging stereotypes about the community.