In 2004 the UPA came to power with massive Muslim support. It appointed Sachar Committee and Mishra Commission who submitted their reports which were accepted by the UPA Government.
Muslims were happy and they again supported the UPA in 2009. Problems of the Muslims have been documented in the two reports and their solutions have been identified after detailed discussion in and out of the government. But, during the last four years plus the UPA has been ignoring the implementation of the major recommendations given in Sachar and Mishra Reports despite systematic and frequent reminders given by the community and its well-wishers through media, conferences, presentations, memoranda and meetings with ministers. Now the UPA has its last window of opportunity, ending in a few months, to pick up the threads, issue orders, give these in the hands of Muslims and their well-washers and get these implemented at the ground level through intense follow up. For UPA’s ready recapitulation following are the actions that it must take right now.
Each of these works have been pending for several years. After every item, in brackets, it’s genetic source and the central ministry which has to take the action are mentioned. Muslims will take into account the UPA’s commissions & omissions at the hustings. In the meanwhile, in the unfortunate situations like that obtaining for a month now in UP’s Muzaffarnagar, the central government must provide military protection to the victims. The election commission should not conduct elections there till each displaced person is enabled to return to his or her house and settles there.
1. Create time-bound fast track courts to try terror allegations. (Ministry of Law)
2. Provide compensation of Rs 50 lakh to each person who is judicially acquitted of terror allegations. Such amount elsewhere in the civilized world is much higher. (Home Ministry)
3. Make ‘Scheduled Caste’ definition religion-neutral. Amend 1950 Presidential Order through a simple parliamentary resolution. (Ministry of Law)
4. De-reserve constituencies with substantial Muslim population. Immediately appoint the next Delimitation Commission with clear time-bound mandate to remove these anomalies. (Sachar Committee: Ministry of Law)
5. Evolve procedure to nominate Muslims in public positions of power. Mind you, post Sachar, Muslim representation in the Government has come further down. (Sachar Committee Report: Cabinet Secretariat & Ministry of Minority Affairs)
6. Earmark 67% for Muslims out of the Reservation to be made for all minorities, as Muslims constitute 73% of all minorities. (Mishra Commission: Ministry of Law)
7. Create Special Component Plan in the Budget for Muslims for skill development programs and other economic opportunities. (‘Promises to Keep’ by Harsh Mandar & others: Action by Planning Commission & Ministry of Finance)
8. For the PM’s 15 Point Program for Minorities, enhance the outlay to 19% of total plan allocation. (‘Promises to Keep’ by Harsh Mandar & others: Action by Planning Commission & Ministry of Finance)
9. Make the village (in rural area) and ward (in urban area) [and not the district or block] as units of planning for infrastructure schemes (including MSDP – Multi-sectoral Development Plan) and their implementation. (‘Promises to Keep’ by Harsh Mandar & others: Action by Planning Commission & Ministry of Finance)
10. For special recruitment of 1400 additional IPS officers, scrap the Limited Competitive Examination (LCE) as it preempts Muslim intake. (Ministries of Personnel & Home)
11. Establish Indian Waqf Service on the pattern of several states where senior officers are directly recruited, by state law, to manage Hindu temples & endowments. (Sachar Committee Report: Ministries of Personnel & Minority Affairs)
12. (a) In Waqf Rules, 2013 & through Departmental Instructions incorporate the remaining Sachar and JPC recommendations particularly the following:
(i) Secretary, Central Waqf Council should be of the level of at least Joint Secretary to the Govt. of India so that CWC can effectively discharge it’s newly acquired executive functions vis-a-vis the State Waqf Boards where the CEO shall now be of rank not below Deputy Secretary.
(ii) Waqf properties shall be leased at not below the Current Fair Market Rent.
(iii) Waqf Board should be able to issue Lease Orders without the intervention of the State Government.
(Sachar Committee & JPC on Waqfs. Action: Ministry of Minority Affairs)
(b) Act on the then PM Indira Gandhi’s letter no. 71-PMO/76 dated March 26,1976 addressed to the chief ministers – reproduced in Sachar Committee Report on page 223. Vacate Waqf properties occupied by UPA Governments in the centre and states and restore these to the state waqf boards. (Sachar Committee & JPC on Waqfs: PMO, Ministry of Minority Affairs, UPA chief ministers)
13. Publicize Madarsa Scheme (SPQEM) in Urdu & other languages. Rs 50 lakh granted every year for such publicity, has not been utilized. (HRD Ministry)
14. Establish equivalence between Madarsa and other education. (Sachar Committee: Ministry of HRD, National Institute of Open Schooling and University Grants Commission)
15. Give option for interest-free finance in the banking sector. Implement the recommendations of the Planning Commission’s Raghuram Rajan Committee on financial sector reforms. (Planning Commission)
16. Central Urdu Teachers Scheme: Follow up and get resolved its non-implementation in most of the states. (Ministry of HRD)
17. Establish Equal Opportunity Commission. Modalities were finalized by the Expert Committee four years ago. (Sachar Committee Report: Ministry of Minority Affairs)
18. Institute the Schemes for Incentives based on Diversity Index. Modalities were finalized by Expert Committee four years ago. (Sachar Committee Report: Ministry of Minority Affairs)
19. Involve Muslim beneficiary groups in the planning & oversight of the schemes & projects aimed at their welfare. (Cabinet Secretariat & Ministry of Minority Affairs)
20. Concentrate on benefiting the whole Muslim community, not only a few individuals.
There is a strong sentiment going across the country that lest the current UPA Government continues its ‘mere lip-service’ policy towards Muslims even during its last six months, they need not vote for it a third time and, instead, now begin putting their heads together for a non-UPA and non-BJP alternative. Also, let us closely watch the UPA’s performance for a few months.
(PowerPoint Presentation on this article can be seen at www.zakatindia.org. Author was OSD, Sachar Committee and is currently President, Zakat. Foundation of India)