02 September,2009 06:34 AM IST | | Shahid Latif
Indian Muslims had always been at the forefront of the freedom struggle. When the country got Independence, they remained in India saying this was their motherland, they were born and brought up here and would die here. But everything changes when a Sachar Committee report (tabled in the Parliament on November 30, 2006) confirms that Indian Muslims do not feature in mainstream India. They have no representation in the job market, in politics or any other area of growth, development and therefore, prosperity. They lag behind to the extent that even in education, they are one of the most backward communities of the country. They are grossly under-represented in government organisations such as the army and the police. They are few Muslims who hold public sector jobs.
So the question is what went wrong? Why did they not get their share of progress and prosperity? One of the answers is the hypocrisy of the political class. Politicians, especially those belonging to the grand old party called the Congress, have failed Muslims. They always try to pamper them, but do nothing to address the real issues of education, employment and a decent life. They are pushed to the ghettos where there is no sanitation, poor roads, inferior educational institutions and hospitals. And I could go on.
Yet, the same politicians always make their presence felt in the community, or so they think, by organising iftar parties. They think that will garner them the community's support, especially for the upcoming elections. So they wear skullcaps in an attempt to show solidarity with the community. But as soon as the show is over, they dump the community in the political dustbin.
Muslims are fed up with such gestures. They feel humiliated whenever such 'iftar showoffs' take place. After 62 years of continuous struggle, they now want to say: "Mr Politician, please don't try to fool us. You are not a friend because you wear a skullcap. Hoardings wishing us Ramzan Mubarak don't help us solve any of our problems like inequality, identity crisis and lack of security that gravely concern us. We ask you to do what is legally and constitutionally justified." I would also like to emphasise that Muslims are equally angry with the people from the community who act as the agents of politicians and harm the interests of their community for their own shortsighted political benefits.
Inquilab has therefore decided not to cover any of the political iftar parties from today. And by doing so, it wants to reaffirm its solidarity with millions of Muslims who do not and will not be taken for granted. Enough is enough.
Shahid Latif is editor Inquilab
