The Muslim quota controversy that has been fuelled by Congress leaders like Salman Khurshid and Beni Prasad Verma-both UPA Cabinet Ministers-as well as SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and the BSP Chief Minister of UP Ms Mayawati, in their election campaign in the State, is now echoing in the media. It was the topic of discussion in the NDTV's popular Sunday, prime-time, programme:"We, The People"(Feb 19). One can understand vote-bank-oriented parties-Congress and the Samajwadi Party championing the religion-based quota for one community-Indian Muslims, through their respective leaders, namely, Mrs Rita Bahuguna Joshi and Shahid Siddiqi, in the TV debate, during the election time in UP, in violation of the spirit and the letter of the Constitution. Siddiqi who is a typical party-hopper who moved from the Congress, then the BSP to the SP, was quite confused and pathetic in his arguments in favour of the Muslim quota. In fact, all those exponents of Muslim quota have no real valid argument to oppose economic criterion as the basis of reservation of the depressed classes. But they think that Muslim quota advocacy will bring them electoral gains in the crucial election. Siddiqi seemed even critical of the Constitution-makers for providing reservations for the Hindu Scheduled castes, and not others, namely, Muslims who were similarly situated. In other words, he admitted that Islam had failed to absorb the SC converts, unable to offer them equal treatment!
What was most astonishing and incomprehensible in the TV debate, was the pro-quota posture of highly placed Muslims like the film-maker Muzzaffar Ali and a former IAS member and Vice-Chancellor Ansari. Having achieved a distinctive, elitist status in the society due to their hard work and talent, how could they join the ranks of habitual Muslim whiners, complaining about discrimination and backwardness allegedly faced by their community? Is itn't a myth-in fact, falsehood, to accuse the Indian State and the society(read Hindu dominated), for the socalled miserable plight of the Indian Muslims? How is it that Bollywood is dominated by Muslims even when all key levers-finance, direction, production, exhibition and distribution are mostly in the hands of Hindus? As an ordinary Indian, I know of so many cases of Muslim boys from very poor families achieving success through hard work and basic talent in their chosen field like tennis. You see so many young Muslim men and women in the print and electronic media doing well.
How can we forget the way our poor illiterate brethren-Hindus and Muslims, from the boondocks of UP, Bihar and Rajasthan, were taken to the far off lands-in the Caribbean-Trinidad and Guyana, Fiji and Mauritius, in the 19th century and later, to work in the sugar plantations as indentured labourers? They had to work in terrible, snake-infested conditions. And see how they have transformed their lives, becoming most prosperous and politically powerful, in less than a century, through sheer hard work and emphasis on education. Also, look at the refugees from West Pakistan and Sindh after partition. They came penniless, leaving everything behind. Again through sheer relentless efforts, self-sacrifice and hard work they have successfully rebuilt their lives. One has heard many stories of poor women doing manual work to send their children to school and college. Hence, it is disgusting to hear Ansaris, Siddiqis, Khurshids and Beni Vermas talk of quotas. In fact, it is time to end all quotas; even, initially, they were meant for a decad or so. Let the State help weaker ones with affirmative action without the crutch of quotas.
What was most astonishing and incomprehensible in the TV debate, was the pro-quota posture of highly placed Muslims like the film-maker Muzzaffar Ali and a former IAS member and Vice-Chancellor Ansari. Having achieved a distinctive, elitist status in the society due to their hard work and talent, how could they join the ranks of habitual Muslim whiners, complaining about discrimination and backwardness allegedly faced by their community? Is itn't a myth-in fact, falsehood, to accuse the Indian State and the society(read Hindu dominated), for the socalled miserable plight of the Indian Muslims? How is it that Bollywood is dominated by Muslims even when all key levers-finance, direction, production, exhibition and distribution are mostly in the hands of Hindus? As an ordinary Indian, I know of so many cases of Muslim boys from very poor families achieving success through hard work and basic talent in their chosen field like tennis. You see so many young Muslim men and women in the print and electronic media doing well.
How can we forget the way our poor illiterate brethren-Hindus and Muslims, from the boondocks of UP, Bihar and Rajasthan, were taken to the far off lands-in the Caribbean-Trinidad and Guyana, Fiji and Mauritius, in the 19th century and later, to work in the sugar plantations as indentured labourers? They had to work in terrible, snake-infested conditions. And see how they have transformed their lives, becoming most prosperous and politically powerful, in less than a century, through sheer hard work and emphasis on education. Also, look at the refugees from West Pakistan and Sindh after partition. They came penniless, leaving everything behind. Again through sheer relentless efforts, self-sacrifice and hard work they have successfully rebuilt their lives. One has heard many stories of poor women doing manual work to send their children to school and college. Hence, it is disgusting to hear Ansaris, Siddiqis, Khurshids and Beni Vermas talk of quotas. In fact, it is time to end all quotas; even, initially, they were meant for a decad or so. Let the State help weaker ones with affirmative action without the crutch of quotas.
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