Maha's muslims to intensify demand for reservation

Maharashtra's Muslim community on Sunday decided to intensify the demand for reservation in jobs.

Under the banner of Muslim Aarakshan Sanyukta Kruti Samiti (Muslim Reservation Joint Action Committee) people from all walks of life came together to demand reservation for the community.

On Sunday, the Samiti held a meeting and those present included Rajya Sabha MP Bhalchandra Mungekar; former Health Minister Anees Ahmed; Maulana Mustaqeem Azmi, president of Jamiat-e-Ulema Maharashtra among others.

As of now, they have not planned any protests on the streets, given the fact that violent incidents were reported during the agitation by Maratha organisations.

A committee has been formed under the chairmanship of Pune-based educationalist Dr P A Inamdar to chalk out a future course of action.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Hussain Dalwai, who had been spearheading the demand for reservations to Muslims, said it his high time the Centre and state governments work together to ensure that Muslims get reservation.

Dalwai said that the Rajinder Sachar Committee report on the contemporary status of Muslims in India, which was commissioned in 2005 by the then prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, had elaborated on the conditions of Muslims.

He pointed out that the Mehmood-ur-Rehman Committee has recommended 8-10% reservation in education and jobs for the community, plus a separate 10% reservation for Muslim women.

The committee was set up in 2008 by the then Congress-NCP government to study economic and social backwardness among Muslims in Maharashtra.

Shrimant Kokate of Maratha Seva Sangh has backed the community's demand.

The demand by Muslims assumes significance in the backdrop of the recent protests by the Maratha community for reservation and the renewed demand by Dhangars to be included in the Schedule Tribes.

Court order

The previous Democratic Front government, leb by Prithviraj Chavan, had come up with an ordinance to provide 16% reservation to Marathas and 5% reservation to Muslims in jobs and educational institutions.

However, the Bombay High Court had struck down the reservation for the politically-influential Maratha community and allowed 5% reservation for Muslims only in educational institutions.

The Supreme Court had upheld the high court's order.