Aligarh: Maharashtra government has announced for making 5% reservation provision for the Muslims. The decision has been welcomed by some persons but in fact it is just a political ploy and nothing more than that said former Chairman of Department of History, AMU Prof. Shahabuddin Iraqi while chairing an Analysis meeting held by the Forum for Muslim Studies & Analysis ( FMSA ) at Media Centre Aligarh. He said that instead of launching concrete project for the development of Muslims in the state, The Maharashtra government has embarked upon to take them on ride. He pointed out that such tactics have become very old and now the Muslims want result and not any dramatic announcement.

Jasim Mohammad, Secretary General of FMSA said, ‘ earlier the Andhra Pradesh government had also announced reservation of Muslims with fan fare but the Hon’ble High Court struck it down as the government had not done any ground work to prove that the Muslim community is a backward community. He said that on the basis of religion the reservation cannot be done and such announcements are for public consumption and for getting political mileage. He said that on the other hand this meaningless reservation widens the gulf between the Muslims and other communities. He called upon the Congress Party which is a ruling party in Maharashtra and was also in Andhra Pradesh to earnestly take up issues of Muslim community instead of just playing with their sentiments.

AMU EC Member Dr. Mohammad Shahid  said that in the case of Andhra Pradesh reservation, the high court had raised certain objections and the government had to respond but it did not and waited for the declaration of Lok Sabha elections. Just 15 to 20 days before the elections the replies were submitted in the high court which indicate the mindset of the Congress party. That is deplorable.

President of FMSA Prof. Razaullah Khan said that Muslims do not need reservations but share in development and justice. He said that in many cases the funds allocated for the Muslim concentrated districts have been diverted to other areas. We want this type of practice to be stopped. He said that government should launch a sustainable plan to enhance economic, social and educational status of Muslims and leave the practice of luring them in the name of reservation.

Political Analyst N. Jamal Ansari said that if Maharashtra government is really serious about Muslim welfare then it must ensure their safety. Citing the Pune case in which one Muslim youth was killed just on allegations of posting something on facebook, he said that most of cases in which Muslim youths have been arrested in an arbitrary way investigating agencies have occurred in Maharashtra, so the government should contain this prejudice.

In the last of meeting, FMSA strongly condemned the decision of Maharashtra government and termed it as a game to divide Indian society. In another resolution, FMSA demanded that the government must create a level playing field and for that launch special schemes for Muslims.