Sachar Committee Report: Some Hard Realities
K.M.Sajad Ibrahim
Sachar Committee report is an eye opener to all Indians. It is a report on the status of Indian Muslims, who are the second largest community in the country. India is very proud to declare that it is one of the leading developing countries in the world and capable of emerging as the most developed country after twenty years, surpassing the USA, Japan etc. But how is it possible when some sections of its population are lagging behind in all spheres. It is the case of Indian Muslims. According to Sachar Committee report the status of Indian Muslims are below the conditions of Scheduled Castes and Tribes. Who are responsible for this? There is no doubt about the role of government. At the same time the Sangh Parivar is more responsible for the worst condition of the Muslims. Indian Muslims are vulnerable to Sangh Parivar ideology of Hindutwa, which mainly intends to capture power. As a result they let loose reign of terror in different parts of India to suppress the Muslims with an eye on majority Hindu votes. Hence the Muslims were denied justice and were isolated from the mainstream of Indian polity. There has been no attempt on the part of government to look after the condition the Muslims. They were branded as communalists and terrorists. Those who supported the Muslim’s cause were termed as appeasing the minority.
Some remarked that the Muslims became backward due to their backwardness of their religion. Then in the whole world Muslims would have been the poor and backward. Islam as a religion promotes all types of modern development unlike any other religion in the world. However, Islam was treated as religion promoting violence. It is utter nonsense, as there is no such wording in Quaran. Even the Jihad was misinterpreted. Jihad was used only as a last resort for protecting one’s belief. But there is a tendency among some Muslim groups to preach Jihad for promoting their political interest. It has nothing to do with Islamic faith. Moreover, many so called Islamic terrorist have no affiliation towards following the principles of Islam for eg. to offer pray five times a day, to observe fast during the month of Ramdan and pay Zakkah to poor. According to Islam an Islamic name does not accord the status of Muslim unless and until one should follow all the norms of Islam. Hence, those who follow these norms cannot use violence since there is no religious sanction behind it.
The Sachar Committee report is a set back for the Sangh Parvar as they were preparing the ground for yet another temple politics. As a result they remarked the report as fabricated and based on facts. However, they are not ready to study the report and point out the defects in it. Those who read the document cannot find any defects as it was well presented with full evidence with the help of all available data. Now the only way-out for the Sangh Parivar is to declare that the whole data is fabricated. Then there is one question- for what benefit Justice Sachar did it? He is not a representative of Muslims. Moreover, the majority of the members are not Muslims. So all these are stupid allegations raised by those who support the Sangh Parivar.
Some information highlighted by the Sachar Committee regarding the Kerala Muslims
1. Among Muslims 38 per cent are landless.
2. In Agricultural jobs majority of the Muslims engage in lowest categories in Kerala as well as in India
About the Gulf Migrants
Among the Gulf migrants:
1. 32% are Brahmins
2. 20% are Nairs
3. 17% are Ezhavas
4. 54% are Muslims
5. 68% are Christians
The most dominated Muslims Districts in Kerala are Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Wayanad. In terms of the development, the per capita income of the Muslims of these districts plus their Gulf remittance is still lower than the per capita income of the remaining communities in other districts even without adding their Gulf remittance. It shows that the so called dominant Muslim Community is dominant only in its name as “Muslims”.
Population Growth
The most important allegation against the Muslims is the steady growth of the population comparing to other religious communities. The allegation was that the Muslims reject the family planning programmes on the basis of the religious conventions.
However, the data indicates that there is a steady decline in the growth of the Muslim population by 3.5 % comparing to the decline rate of Hindus by 2.5%.
It is also reported that the life expectancy of the Muslims is higher by one per cent comparing to all other communities in India.
Marriage
Muslims were ridiculed in the name of polygamy. But the available data published in 1980-81 shows that the polygamy is higher among Hindus than any other communities in India. Unfortunately no data was collected since then.
Muslims in Armed Services
Muslims represent only 4 per cent in the total armed forces in India. Among these Muslims 96 per cent belong to lower level jobs.
