Imams not keen to take Mamata Banerjee’s largesse

By RAJIB CHATTERJEE

Indian Express, Posted online: Thu Jan 24 2013, 03:32 hrs

Kolkata: Religious angle Many feel imams and muezzins consider accepting government against Islam.

Last year, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a controversial announcement of giving a monthly financial aid to imams and muezzins. The Trinamool Congress government had hoped to receive a windfall of applications from the imams and muezzins across the state. However, almost nine months after the scheme was announced, the government has received only a trickle of applications from the community leaders.

Officials say the main reason behind the lukewarm response could be that a large number of imams and muezzins do not want to accept money from the government as they consider that Islam does not permit accepting financial aid from a non-religious body.

Unofficial estimates show that there are around 70,000 mosques in the state. The government, which announced Rs 2,500 monthly aid to imams and Rs 1,000 monthly aid to muezzins, had set aside Rs 126 crore — Rs 90 crore for the imams and Rs 36 crore for muezzins — for the current financial year.

A brief calculation could mean that government had set a target of enrolling 30,000 imams and 30,000 muezzins for this financial year. Till date, only 23,000 imams and 12,000 muezzins have submitted their applications to the Wakf Board.

“I have heard that a section of imams and muezzins do not want to accept money from the government since the fund does not come from a religious body. So, they consider accepting money from government as un-Islamic. At one point of time, we had expected applications from 3,000 imams of Burdwan district alone. But so far, we have received only 700 applications from that district,” said West Bengal Wakf Board Chairman Abdul Gani.

A senior official of Minority Affairs Department said imams in most of the interior parts of the state get food and other necessary material from the locals. “This may be another reason why not all the imams and muezzins have opted for the government money,” said the official.

When the government had announced the scheme, there was widespread criticisms with some alleging that Trinamool government’s bid to woo the minorities may flare up communal tensions in the state. Hindu outfits demanded that priests too be given such “honorarium”. To counter the allegation, the government said the money was being given to imams and muezzins as they help government agencies implement various social schemes like pulse polio drive and creating awareness among the community.

We won’t accept 99% work done lie: Peerzada Toha Siddique

I will request Mamata Banerjee…. You must be aware that she is saying one thing repeatedly and that is she has done 99 per cent of what had to be done for the minority communities. We will not accept such a lie,” said Peerzada Toha Siddique, the director of Furfura Darbar Sharif in Hooghly.

Read details in:

We won’t accept 99% work done lie: Minority leader

Is Mamata giving communal politics a chance in Bengal?

Written by: Shubham Ghosh

ONE INDIA, Updated: Tuesday, September 4, 2012, 10:41 [IST]

Mamata is often heard of shouting "Don't let them start riots in Bengal!." Who are "they"? Where is riot happening in Bengal? On the contrary, an educated middle-class led by a secular Leftist leadership nurtured a socio-economic culture in Bengal which was not traditionally characterised by caste and minority politics. But in the post-Left Front times, we are clearly seeing how casteist politics is making its way in the Bengali society. We have seen how the Matua sect and Muslims are being mobilised by the Mamata Banerjee, the latter in a more fragmented way.

Mamata encouraging communal forces

The BJP, which has never succeeded in fomenting a communal way of politics in the state, has been feeling encouraged only because Mamata, today, is intending to appease the minorities. We all know soft communalism in the name of secularism will eventually lead to the growth of a hard, reactionary communalism. The Congress's ploy and the BJP's rise as a counter-force have left such examples in the past. The recent protest over the construction of Aligarh Muslim University campus in Murshidabad is a classic case.

The BJP wouldn't have to sweat it out if Mamata continues with her appeasement policy for another three-and-half years and beyond (for I believe that she will come back to power in 2016 even if with a reduced majority). Mamata, instead of focusing on overall uplift of the minorities, is actually playing a dangerous game of fragmenting the minorities by extending facilities to selected sections.

What will an allowance for the Imam do for the uplift of an average educated middle-class Muslim person? He, or she, just like any educated middle-class Hindu, will want industrialisation in the state for generation of economic opportunities. There is no point in slamming the BJP for trying out 'communal politics'. It is being given such an opportunity.

Bureaucrats see it better and clearly

If a police officer, owing to the fact that he has seen it all from close ranks, decides to write on issues he strongly feels about, then who are these chamchas to oppose? Mamata can not accuse Islam as CPI(M)'s man either for he was known for his clashes with it also. People like Ghosh and Islam have dared to expose the so-called tamasha that is going on in Bengal today in the name of pro-people action and it is natural that the state machinery would be unleashed against them in a desperate bid to keep its artificial support base intact.

Islam's daring act could also hint at the growing dissent in the Bengal police against the maladministration of Mamata. The CM, who was once at the receiving end of the fury unleashed by the police during the days of the Left rule, has transformed it into a stooge of her own. She has defended criminals belonging to own party while discouraged honest officers from properly carrying out their job (she once allegedly got a few of her followers freed from police lock-up after they were arrested for threatening the police and reprimanded officers), the normal consequence of what has been the deteriorating law and order situation.

The culture that is being nurtured by Mamata Banerjee in Bengal is a shocking one. Even as people regard her government's action as anti-democratic, it is more threatening somewhere deep down. But who can arrest the slide when the protector itself turns draconian?

West Bengal madrasas see conspiracy in Mamata’s affiliation offer

Submitted by admin4 on 16 October 2011 - 4:00pm

By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net

Kolkata: In a setback to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s move to please Muslims, a representative body of private religious madrasas in the state has rejected Mamata’s offer of affiliation to 10,000 madrasas. West Bengal Rabeta Madaris-e-Islamia Arabia rejected the offer saying there is a conspiracy to bring religious madrasas in political fold.

“Muslim should be aware of the government recognition offer for Islamic madrasas. Most of the Islamic madrasas in West Bengal are following the syllabus of Darul Uloom Deoband and Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur. Any madrasa run by Rabeta will never take Government recognition announced by the Chief Minister of West Bengal,” said Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani, Chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband.

(L-R) Chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani, Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury, Principal Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur Maulana Sahid, Prof of Jamia Sahi Muradabad Mufti Salman.

Addressing a press conference here on 13th October, Maulana Nomani said “If Government wants to do something leave targeting Madrasa. Madrasa should have right to go their own way, destination Islamic Education.”

“Religious Madrasa should not take any Government Assistance. In Sachar Report we have seen only 4% Madrasa students. The rest are going to school or modern education centres. Government should take care of schools not Muslim-run Islamic Madarsa. Madrasas are teaching Islamic lesson. We have right to teach Islamic Education and build Islamic Educational Institution to our choice, which stated in Indian Constituency. We will abide Indian Constituency not State run Government Rule,’ Maulana Nomani roared.

He and other leaders of West Bengal Rabeta Madaris-e-Islamia Arabia questioned the affiliation offer of the CM by raising the issue of the number of madrasas in the state. They said the largest madrasa body Rabeta is running only 700 madrasas. So how will the govt get 10,000 madrasas in West Bengal?

Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury said the declaration of recognition to 10000 Madrasas by Mamata Banerjee led West Bengal Government is totally fake. Because there are not 10000 madrasas in West Bengal right now. It is a conspiracy against Islamic education, he said.

In reply to a question about Mamata’s claims that 90% of Muslim development issues has been covered successfully, Chowdhury said, the people of West Bengal knows well, they are doing nothing. This is a totally fake propaganda.

Principal of Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur said: If Madrasas are willing government assistance then Islamic Lesson might be dropped. So, Muslims should keep distance from Government Affiliation.

These eminent clerics and heads of renowned madarasas in the country were speaking at a press conference called at the end of two-day conference (12-13 Oct) of madrasas called by West Bengal Rabeta Madaris-e-Islamia Arabia at Jamia Islamia Madani near Dumdum Airport in Kolkata.

The conference was attended by around 700 Madrasas from 19 districts of the state. Eminent figures who featured the conference were Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani (Chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband and president of All India Rabeta Madaris-e-Islamia Arabia) Maulana Shahid (Principal of Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur), Mufti Salman (Professor of Jamia Shahi Muradabad) and Maulana Yusuf (Gujarat Darul Uloom). The conference was presided over by Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury.

From deferent districts of West Bengal lots of Islamic clerics and teachers attended the conference.

Some important points discussed at the conference:

1. To make good relation among Madrasas and should take care to build up coordination.

2. Rabeta Members will have an eye on Anti-Madrasa campaign

3. To increase quality of learning system-- Madrasa concern has to be taken special care.

4. To save Islamic Culture we have to spread benefit of Islamic education in the society.

5. Darul Uloom Deoband and Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind advised to keep safe distance from Government Financial help to run the madrasa. Madrasa should follow as usual process to collect donation form Muslim Community, society.

6. Govt of West Bengal declared to give the government affiliation to the 10000 Madrasa in West Bengal. This is the conspiracy to manage the Madrasa in political outfit. So, Madrasa should not take any government recognition. 

Status of Muslims in West Bengal

By Maidul Islam & Subhashini Ali

THE HINDU, April 14, 2011 02:11 IST

Misleading data cited in a seminar paper on the situation of the minority community in the State tend to detract from the Left Front government's exceptional record on this count.

Abusaleh Shariff, the Chief Economist of the National Council of Applied Economic Research, who was the Member-Secretary of the Sachar Committee, presented a paper on the socio-economic development of Muslims in West Bengal, at a seminar organised by the Institute of Objective Studies in March. A newspaper report of his presentation claimed that the situation of Muslims in West Bengal was worse than in Gujarat.

This is an erroneous and shocking statement. The ghettoisation and marginalisation of Muslims in Gujarat since the state-sponsored pogrom of 2002 is well-documented. West Bengal, on the other hand, has had no communal violence since l964, and Muslims enjoy security.

The figures of Muslims' access to government employment and education in West Bengal as presented by Mr. Shariff are based on outdated data. He has relied on Census 2001 figures. In fact, the West Bengal government seems to be among the few governments that have taken both the criticism and recommendations contained in the Sachar Committee Report seriously.

The newspaper report said: “Shariff's figures on education, sourced, according to him from the census database and the Planning Commission, show that 50 per cent Muslim children attend school at the primary level, 26 per cent remain in middle school and only 12 per cent complete matriculation against 54 per cent, 30 per cent and 13 per cent respectively for SC/STs and 80 per cent, 58 per cent and 38 per cent for others.” These are data from the Sachar Report (pages 295-299), based on Census 2001. Since then, there has been a significant improvement in the matter of enrolment of Muslims in school in the State. Latest data from the District Information System for Education, which is a joint initiative of the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), the Department of School Education and Literacy, the Ministry of Human Resources Development and UNICEF, show West Bengal in a good light.

According to the NUEPA report, in the last three years (2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10), respectively 28.13, 28.28 and 32.30 of every 100 primary school children in West Bengal were Muslims, while 25.25 per cent of the State's population is Muslim. West Bengal's figures for Muslim students' enrolment at the primary level are better than the national average of 10.49 per cent (in 2007-08), 11.03 per cent (in 2008-09) and 13.48 per cent (in 2009-10) respectively, while Muslims form 13.43 per cent of India's population. West Bengal's record is far better than that of Gujarat. There, Muslim students' enrolment at the primary level was 4.57 per cent (2007-08), 4.73 per cent (2008-09) and 6.45 per cent (2009-10). Among all States and Union Territories, West Bengal ranks sixth in primary school level enrolment among Muslim students.

In 2009-10, upper primary school enrolment among Muslim students in West Bengal was 26.46 per cent. At the elementary school level it was 30.56 per cent, more than the proportion of Muslims in the State's population. The State thus occupied the sixth position among all States and Union Territories. The figures for West Bengal are better than the national average of 11.89 per cent and 13.02 per cent respectively, and far ahead of Gujarat: for that State the corresponding figures are 6.44 per cent and 6.45 per cent respectively.

On employment of Muslims in West Bengal, Mr. Shariff has again quoted from the Sachar Report (page 370), which had said its data for West Bengal were incomplete (pages 170, 173). The Report ignores the employment of Muslims in secondary and primary educational centres, which, according to the State government's data is 37 per cent of the total teachers employed. Since more than 20,000 teachers in registered madrasas receive the wages and benefits of government school teachers and the majority of them are Muslims, they should be counted as government servants. For the expansion of madrasa education, the State budgetary provision has increased from only Rs.5.6 lakh in 1976-77 to Rs. 574 crore in the current year. The Central government's allocation for madrasa education (SPQEM) was Rs. 127 crore in the 2011 budget.

In 2010, West Bengal reserved 10 per cent of all State government jobs for OBC Muslims, as per the recommendation of the Ranganath Misra Commission. The newspaper report quotes Mr. Shariff as saying: “A look at OBC statistics in Bengal shows only 2.4 per cent of its Muslims belong to that category.” In truth, after the recommendations of the Misra Commission were made public, a list of 56 ‘more backward communities', 49 of them Muslims, was included in the OBC list in West Bengal. As a result, of the 2.02 crore Muslims in West Bengal, 1.72 crore, or 85 per cent of the total, were notified as OBCs. West Bengal is the first State to implement the Misra Commission recommendations.

The Central government's commitment to the Sachar Committee recommendations is half-hearted and meagre. Whereas the Committee recommended increased spending on Muslim minority educational, health and other needs to the extent of about 15 per cent of the Union Budget, and West Bengal demanded a sub-plan for Muslims on the lines of the SC/ST sub-plans, the Centre has allocated less than 0.5 per cent in the Budgets it has presented since the Committee's Report was tabled in Parliament. In Budget 2011, the Centre reduced the allocation to the Multi-Sectoral Development Plan of minority-dominated districts by Rs. 100 crore. West Bengal, which accounts for 12 of the 90 MSDP districts, has the best record with respect to the implementation of the scheme.

West Bengal's track record in other welfare measures is also impressive. The West Bengal Minority Development Corporation had disbursed term-loans and micro-credit to 1,82,646 persons till January 2011. This is the best record of credit disbursement among all minority finance corporations. The share of bank loans for the minorities in the total priority sector loans of banks in the State increased from 7.89 per cent as on March 31, 2009, to 14.76 per cent as on March 31, 2010. This grew to cross the national level target (15 per cent) and reached 15.01 per cent as on September 30, 2010. At the national level, it is still to reach 10 per cent.

West Bengal is the topper in implementing the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme. Among self-employed business persons who benefited from PMEG, over 30 per cent are from among the minorities. Among all self-help groups in West Bengal with access to institutional credit, 21.8 per cent are groups with Muslim members.

An important aspect of the backwardness of the Muslim minority is landlessness. In most parts of India, landlessness among Muslims has increased after l947. West Bengal is an exception. The success of land reforms under Left-led governments here has significantly benefited Muslims. Among rural households in West Bengal, Muslim households, which constitute 30.9 per cent, have access to 25.6 per cent of the total cultivated land. This is second only to Jammu and Kashmir, which has a much higher percentage of Muslim citizens who have access to 30.3 per cent of cultivable land in the State. Of the land pattas distributed in West Bengal during the period 1977-2010, 18 per cent went to Muslim households.

While more needs to be done for the Muslim minority in West Bengal and, indeed, all over India, it is important to set the record straight. At a time when incorrect data are being used as part of a propaganda offensive against the Left Front government, this has become even more essential.

(Maidul Islam is a D.Phil candidate in Politics at Brasenose College, University of Oxford. Subhashini Ali is a Central Committee member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist)

Eid celebrated in West Bengal

2010-09-11 18:40:00

West Bengal joined the rest of India in celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr with prayers and exchange of greetings Saturday.

The biggest Eid congregation was held on the sprawling Red Road in central Kolkata, where over 42,000 devotees took part in prayers.

Verses from the Quran were read and explained to the masses before Nakhoda Mosque Imam Fazlur Rahman conducted the prayers.

People greeted and embraced one another, visited relatives and friends on the occasion.

Heavy security arrangements were made across the city and all districts of the state to prevent any breach of peace.

'We have deployed more policemen this year, especially in areas where the major Eid congregations take place like Red Road, Park Circus and Belgachia. A large number of policemen in plainclothes have also been deployed,' said city Police Commissioner Gautam Chakraborty.

Backward Muslims in Bengal to get OBC certificates soon

PTI / Sunday, August 29, 2010: Nearly 1.4 crore backward Muslims in West Bengal would be issued OBC certificates under the reservation policy for poor people of the community after the state cabinet approves the decision on September 22.

The policy decision has been taken and it awaits approval of the cabinet on September 22, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said while inaugurating a Haj House-cum-Empowerment Centre at Kaikhali near Kolkata airport.

"If SC and ST population can come under reservation, why not the minorities like Muslims?" he said adding that the state government was encouraged by recommendations of the Ranganath Mishra Commission in this regard.

The Rs 10-crore Haj House is the second of its kind in the state after the one situated near Park Circus in the city, which made West Bengal the only state to have two Haj Houses for the benefit of Haj pilgrims, he said.

Bhattacharjee said there was need for such a facility to cater to the growing number of Haj pilgrims in the state. While 1,410 pilgrims went to Haj in 1985, the number rose to 10,272 in 2010.

Built by the state government's PWD department, the G-plus-seven-storeyed building can accommodate pilgrims for three months during the pilgrimage to Mecca.

During the remaining nine months, minority beneficiaries would be given vocational training there by the Aliah University, he said.

Bhattacharjee said "minorities were not living in anybody's mercy" and the government had given approval for starting 12 English medium madrasas in the state.

 

In addition to 600 madrasas in the state, steps have been taken to prepare a list of 300 more of the institutions to impart education not only in religion, but also in subjects like science, mathematics and computers to make the minority community students more competitive.

Minister of state for minorities development and madrasa education Abdus Sattar said unemployed Muslims would be imparted vocational training in 37 trades in the Haj building for nine months by the Aliah University.

Bengal madrasah with more Hindu students draws eyes, President’s award for teacher

By Shiv Sahay Singh

Indian Express, Posted online: Thu Aug 26 2010, 01:56 hrs

Kolkata:  A teacher in West Bengal who has enrolled more Hindu students than Muslims in his madrasa is to receive the national award from President Pratibha Patil this Teachers’ Day.

Anwar Hossain, the headmaster of Orgram Chatuspalli High Madrasah in Burdwan district, will be among the 12 teachers from the state who will receive the award at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

Back in 1977, when Hossain joined the madrasa, it had just 34 students. Slowly the number increased and the institute drew more Hindu students. Today, it has about 64 per cent Hindu students.

 

“The award, I hope, will do away with the false notion about madrasas in our country,” Hossain told The Indian Express. “Madrasas are centres of learning where all sorts of education — computer education and English education  is being provided along with religious education.”

Hossain (56), says the madrasa drew more students from other communities because the institution provided help to students who had no access to education and did not have any means to support their education.

“We went from village to village and spoke to parents who could not afford a single rupee to educate their children. We did not charge any fees and started giving free books.”

Even today, all books till class X are given free of cost. And the teachers of this madrasa move across villages to identify the children who are out of school or who have dropped out due to financial constraints, said Hossain, who plans to donate his prize money to the madrasa.

“When students get support for their education, they don’t mind studying two extra subjects Arabic and Islam Parichay along with other regular subjects,” he added.

When The Indian Express first reported about the madrasa on January 19, 2009, it had 883 students of whom 555 were Hindus. Now the madrasa has been upgraded to higher secondary level and has 1,078 students studying in science and humanities streams. Even now, the number of non-Muslim students has remained 64 per cent.

“The headmaster (of the madrasa) has a big role in the making of the institution,” said Dibyen Mukherjee, the Director of School Education, West Bengal.

 

Abdus Sattar, Minister for Minority Development and Welfare and Madrasah Education, said the selection of Hossain for the President’s award points to the efforts made by the state government to modernise madrasas. “We have been able to provide a system where all communities can get education together,” he said.

Muslims welcome 10 percent job quota in West Bengal

2010-02-09 18:30:00

The 10 percent quota in government jobs for backward Muslims in West Bengal is being welcomed by leaders of the community who say it's not really enough but add that something is better than nothing.

Maulana Abdul Hamid Nomani of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind described the move as a 'step in the right direction' for the welfare of backward Muslims in West Bengal.

'But it is not enough considering the pathetic socio-economic situation of Muslims (in the state). Nonetheless something is better than nothing,' Nomani, the Jamiat spokesperson, told mediapersons.

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind is one of the leading Islamic organisations in India founded in 1919 with its organisational network spread all over India.

The Communist government in West Bengal Monday announced 10 percent reservation in government jobs for other backward classes among Muslims.

The move comes years after a government appointed committee observed that in West Bengal where 25 percent population is Muslim, their share in government jobs was a paltry 4.2 percent.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on expected lines, has criticised the announcement, saying it was unconstitutional to give reservations on religion lines.

But Nomani differs. He said backward classes among Muslims can be granted the quota on their socio-economic status as it was legally possible.

'We need to invoke article 341 of the Indian constitution,' he said referring to the act that gives the president of India an authority after taking the advice of the governor of any state or union territory, to demarcate tribes, races or castes or a part of any group as Scheduled Castes, in accordance with the law of the constitution.

'We are not demanding quota for all Muslims. Muslims who enjoy a decent life and form a creamy layer don't need it and should be exempted. It should be reserved for those who need it the most,' he said.

Former MP Syed Shahabuddin of the Delhi-based National Movement for Muslim Reservation (NMMR) said it was an 'epoch-making' initiative.

'The NMMR welcomes it and facilitates the West Bengal government. Though more needs to be done but it is better than not being done anything at all,' Shahabuddin said.

The West Bengal government's announcement came on a day when in Hyderabad, the Andhra Pradesh High Court quashed a state law providing four percent jobs to certain identified backward classes among Muslims.

'That was unexpected. Some fundamentalist parties are opposing it to secure their vote banks. What else does the government need to prove Muslims are under represented and their economic condition is pathetic and much below than the national average,' Nomani said.

Shahabuddin termed the high court ruling as 'unfortunate and deplorable'.

'The judgment quashes the Andhra Pradesh act as being religion-specific and potentially an encouragement to conversion. The reference to conversion shows a streak of Hindutva mentality and is absolutely irrelevant,' he said.

The court, he added, 'has ignored the fact that under Article 15(1) reservation may be religion-specific or caste-specific or race-specific or language-specific if the social group concerned passes the test of backwardness.'

West Bengal announces reservation for Muslims in govt jobs

10% RESERVATION FOR ECONOMICALLY-BACKWARD MUSLIM COMMUNITIES

KOLKATA(INN): 8th February 2010-The Bengal Left Front government has decided that there should be as per the principal recommendations of the Mishra Commission, a 10% reservation of the economically handicapped sections of the Muslims. The reservation excludes the ‘creamy layer.’

The main aspects of the recommendations being initiated are:

· For eligibility, monthly income of the concerned person must be below Rs four lakh 50 thousand
· This is the first instance of reservation for Muslims in the country
· A decision has been kept in consideration for similar reservation for Sikhs and Christians
· Of the 66 communities marked up as OBC’s, 12 are Muslims.
· The OBC Muslims comprise 16 lakh 38 thousand or 8.3% of the total OBC population pool of Bengal.

The ore populous of the Muslim OBC’s include Jola, Fakir/Sain, Hawari, Dhunia, Kasai, Nashya sheikh, Pahadia Muslim, Shershabadia, Rayeen/Kunjra, Hajjam, Chaudhooli, and Patidar. Over and above this list, further, newer applicants are the Khotta Muslims, Sardars, and Beldars.

The cases of four other backward Muslim communities, i.e., Mahaldar, Abdaal, Baasni, and Kaankhalifa are under active consideration, the chief minister said at the Writers’’ Buildings whilst announcing the new category of reservation.

KOLKATA: PTI, 8 February 2010, 03:37pm IST -On a day when the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down job reservation for Muslims, the West Bengal government on Monday announced 10 per cent quota in employment for the community under the OBC category. The state government declared the quota for the Muslims who were educationally, socially and economically backward in the state. "We have decided to accept the recommendations of the Ranganath Mishra Commission and will take steps to implement it," chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee told newsmen at the state secretariat without waiting for the Centre's decision on the report. He said like other states there was reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in the state. The government, he said, had begun the process of identifying Muslims who were educationally, socially and economically backward. There was 7 per cent reservation for OBCs in the state. "After identification, we will provide reservation to them under the OBC category," the chief minister said. Earlier in the day, a Constitution bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down a state law providing 4 per cent reservation in educational institutions and jobs to 15 groups belonging to the Muslim community. Soon after the court's order, Andhra chief minister K Rosaiah directed the state advocate general D S R Murthy to file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging the verdict.

Panel to fast-track Muslim job quota
Swati Sengupta, TNN, 12 February 2010, 05:54am IST
KOLKATA: The Left Front government is pulling out all the stops to woo the Muslims. With just around a year left for the 2011 assembly elections, the government on Thursday decided to appoint a panel to grant OBC status to different backward groups in the state. This was done to put its proposal for 10% job reservation for Muslim OBCs on the fast track. Interestingly, the new committee — to be headed by chief secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti — will be vested with powers to supersede the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes that was appointed 17 years ago for the same purpose. "The new committee will revise the existing OBC list. This involves including new groups and excluding existing ones, though the immediate purpose is clearly to include more Muslim groups in the OBC category so that they can benefit from the government’s recent decision," a bureaucrat said. The formation of the panel is significant as it will now be executing the order as per the Left Front government’s stand. The commission, on the other hand, is an independent body comprising experts and may not necessarily tow the government’s view on who deserves the OBC status. Officials said the state government is well within its right to form the panel and has legal sanction. Under the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993, the state may "undertake a revision of the lists with a view to excluding from such lists those classes who have ceased to be backward classes or for including in such lists new backward classes". While the Act mentions the commission has to be consulted, officials indicated the new panel would have the final say. The committee’s decisions would also be cleared by the state cabinet. According to rule, the revision can be done only 10 years after the formation of the commission. So the state had the power to revise the list since 2003, but chose to do it now, evidently to woo the Muslim voters. In last year’s Lok Sabha polls, the CPM lost a major chunk of the Muslim votebank. After the polls, the party had identified the loss of Muslim votes as a key reason for the debacle. For the past six months, the Commission has been examining the cases of several applications from different groups of Muslims as well as Hindus on OBC status. Recently, the commission granted OBC status to four Muslim groups and more are expected to get the nod. But the government isn’t taking any chances. It wants to act at the earliest so that the benefit of 10% job quota may reach the grassroots before the elections. The largesse for backward Muslims is aimed essentially at the voters in minority-dominated areas of Malda, Murshidabad, and South 24-Parganas. The state’s decision follows the Ranganath Mishra Commission report that recommended 10% reservation for Muslims and 5% for other minorities on the basis of the Sachar Committee report.

India state changes madrasa rules

By Subir Bhaumik BBC News, Calcutta

Madrasas or traditional Islamic religious schools in the Indian state of West Bengal are to switch to English as the medium of instruction.

The programme will be introduced in phases, state Minority Affairs Minister Abdus Sattar announced. "We believe in modernising our traditional form of education so that our boys and girls can compete with the best," he told the BBC. He said that 10 madrasas in the state will make the switch this term . The remaining 566 madrasas will follow within a few years.

Curriculum modernisation

The overwhelming majority of madrasas in West Bengal are either government-run or government-approved - both are subject to rules promulgated by the state's Madrasa Education Board (MEB).

Only a handful are completely independent and do not fall under the board's remit. Seventy madrasas in West Bengal opened this year - 34 exclusively for women. Mr Sattar, himself once a madrasa teacher, said the modernisation of the curriculum in religious schools has been taking place for a while and modern science and mathematics have already been introduced. He said that both the US and Pakistan have sent teams to study the West Bengal madrasa system to study the impact of earlier changes.

"But without English as the medium of instruction, our students cannot get the best education. So we recommended the use of English as the medium of instruction in all government madrasas and those approved by government," said Sohrab Hossain, chairman of the MEB in West Bengal.
When the Marxists first came to power in the state, they did away with English at the primary level of education. But two decades later, they reversed their decision and reintroduced English at the primary level.

Their move came after huge criticisms that students from West Bengal were suffering in all-India competition, both in jobs and higher education, due to lack of proficiency in English. Muslims compromise 26% of West Bengal's 80 million people - they are mostly poor farmers or small traders who can only afford to send their children to madrasas to get an education. "So unless we modernise the madrasa system, we will not be able to provide quality education to most Muslim aspirants," Mr Hossain said. "Our madrasas don't produce the Taliban, they will produce engineers and doctors."

Story from BBC

NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/8311357.stm

Published: 2009/10/16 16:00:01 GMT

Package for Muslims already in place: CM

KOLKATA, 6 MAY, 2009: The state government has already introduced a special package for the uplift of backward Muslims of the state. The scheme, which aims at imparting vocational training to Muslim youths and encouraging Muslim students to pursue higher education, will be implemented through the Minority Development and Finance Corporation. It has already taken up development programmes for Muslims in 12 districts of the state. Announcing this at an election rally at Rajabazar on Tuesday, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee appealed to the people to elect CPM's Mohammad Salim from Kolkata North constituency.

Md. Salim, incidentally, is the corporation's former chairman. Bhattacharjee came down heavily on the Opposition and a section of the media for criticising the Left Front government for acquiring land from Muslim peasants in the state. "Why should we do that? Are we mad?" he asked. Citing statistics, the chief minister said of the 11.5 lakh acre, which the Left Front government had distributed among peasants since 1977, 25% went to members of the minority community. "We have recruited 11% of our teachers and 8% of our policemen from the minority community," he added.

Bhattacharjee, however, felt that still a lot could be done to bring Muslims back to the mainstream. The CM appealed to voters to elect Left Front candidates in order to bring a non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre. "The Left are gaining strength from various regional parties and we want to form a pro-people government at the Centre," he said. Bhattacharjee felt the issue of prime ministership would not arise at this moment. "We want to form government on the basis of a common minimum programme. We need to ensure the supply of essential foodgrains to the poor at the lowest price and give more land to the landless. We need to promote secularism and follow a sovereign foreign policy," he said. Bhattacharjee said the Left Front government had decided to supply rice at Rs 2 a kg through the public distribution system, thanks to the record production of rice in West Bengal. Though loadshedding plunged the area into darkness for about 20-25 minutes, the chief minister continued with his speech unperturbed.

Minority Development: West Bengal showing the way

Kolkata: West Bengal is showing the way amongst all the states in the country in taking development initiative for the minority community of the state. In fact this role of the state government has also been praised by the National Minorities Commission. Mohd. Safi Kureshi, Chairman of the National Minorities Commission has also praised the pioneering efforts of the West Bengal Government and the West Bengal Minority development Corporation in this regard.

In the sphere of Minority education out of the 37 new colleges that has started in the state 27 is situated in Minority dominated areas. Apart from the educational aspects, various initiatives have also been taken by the state government to enhance the job prospects of the minorities also. Notably more than 22% of all the self help groups that has come up in the state constitutes of minorities. The chairman of the National Minorities Commission was satisfied after scrutinizing the ongoing projects aimed towards the minorities and infact told that west government is putting extra efforts in developing education amongst the minorities as well to augument the job prospects of citizens hailing from the minorities.

According to various national survey reports, the recipients of more than 25% of the lands distributed under the Operation Barga in West Bengal are from the marginal Muslim households. Muslims have also benefited significantly from the land reforms programme. The share of land cultivated by Muslims in West Bengal in total cultivated land is 25.6%, which is the second highest in the country (second only to Jammu and Kashmir where the share is 30.3%).

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has also demanded to the Central government to formulate a subplan for the benefit the minority community in the country. Though on a Central government level no extra efforts are being put to improve the condition of the minorities West Bengal clearly is taking the lead in the country for the all round economic and social development of the citizens hailing from the minority community. Till last year when the Budget of the entire Central government for the development of minorities was at 1000 crores, West State Budget provided about 400 crores towards this department. All the 7 -8 department concerned with the development of the minorities have a special cell aimed towards efforts for the upliftment of the minorities.

If we seggregate the planned and unplanned expenditure that has been incurred by the west Bengal government in the current financial year then we can see that out of the 100 crores rupees allocated by the state government in this regard has already been spent by the government in fact it spent 111 crore 34 lakh 86 thousand i.e. 1 crore 34 lakh 86 thousand more that what was originally envisaged by the government. On the other hand the out of the Central grant to West Bengal government of Rs 68 crores 3 crores 27 lakh 41 thousand rupees is yet to be disbursed by the Central Government. Mentionable that the unplanned expenditure of the state government in this regard has been a whooping 476 crores. No other state government has allocated so much on the minorities’ development.

Recently Abdus Sattar, west Bengal’s minister for minorities’ development, has informed that in all the 11 district of the West Bengal special offices has been opened to facilitatate the development of the minorities in these regions. West Bengal is also the first state in the country to plan in such a manner. West Bengal has also started a new university aimed at providing quality education to the minorities. Named as Alia University this university has also started operating and already 28 faculties of the university is fully operational. In Bhangor of South 24 Parganas more than 65 acres of Land has also been acquired for setting up a full fledged modern campus for this university. Notably this also the opposition Trinamool had created road block for this land acquisition process. To increase the vocational skills of the minority students the state government has also given more than 4 crore 58 lakhs. This money will be spent to give technical and vocation training to students hailing from the minorities’ community. Over 1 lakh students hailing from the minorities’ community has also got scholarship from the state government as incentive to continue their education.

West Bengal has also proved to be the torch bearer in starting schemes for minority women and to empower them economically. A scheme has been taken by the state government where 20- 40 thousands rupees will be given to woman hailing from the minorities’ community to start commercial ventures. No guarantors will be required to avail these loans. About 20cropres has been provided by the state as capital to continue with this scheme. Another 10 crores will be extended in the next financial year. The work of building girl’s hostel for students hailing from Muslim community, and working girls hostel for working girls from minority community are also on full swing.

In the sphere of madrasah education 110 junior madrasahs has been uplifted to the status of senior madrasahs in the state in the last financial year. In the current financial year with this as the objective, steps have been taken in the current year to set up66 new madrasahs, upgrade 110 junior high madrasahs to high madrasahs and 89 high madrasahs to higher madrasahs. More than 3200 posts have already been created to facilitate this development effort. Mentionable that West Bengal government bears the salaries of the Madrasah teachers of the state, a step which is unheard in many states of the country.

West Bengal as also constituted Madrasah Service Commission to impart quality and trained teachers at the Madrasahs of the state. More than 35 crore 74 lakh has been advanced by the west Bengal minority development corporation as loans to the people belong from minority community. The state is also a first to create a fund termed as Minority development and welfare fund to cater to the minority community. West Bengal is also the first among the country in terms of success of giving loans to persons of Minority comminty through the West Bengal Minority development Corporation. The entire Rs 22 crores allocated i9n this fund has been spent for developmental purposes of the minority community. More than 52% of the persons who has found employment the school service commission in Murshidabad district are from the minorities community.

Keeping these priorities in view, the in the state budget plan outlay for the Department of Minorities Affairs and Madrasah Education is proposed to be increased from Rs. 110.0 crore in the current year to Rs. 121.0 crore in the next year. In addition, since the entire responsibility of teachers connected with madrasah education has been taken by the State Government, the total budget of this department will be raised to the level of Rs. 524.11 crore in the next year. No other government again has allocated so much money for the minority development in its state budget. An additional sum of Rs. 20 crore has been decided by the State Government for allocation to this Corporation by way of assistance for training leading to further employment generation (already included in the programme for combating recession).

A second Haj house is also being set up in the state in order to provide to the Haj house Muslims. In 1977 only about 600 people from the state used to go for Hajj pilgrim but now the number has swollen many a times. This year more than 7996 people have enlisted themselves for the Hajj, and bulk of them is from the rural background. This increase has been effected due to the empowerment of the rural masses of the state due to the pro poor policies of the state government. West Bengal is also the first state in the country to publish a guide book in the regional language for the benefit of the Hajj pilgrims hailing from the state. The state also started a website for the Hajj pilgrims. And free SMs service to facilitate the Muslims going on Haj pilgrim.

In the field of housing also special emphasis has been given to allocate houses to the persons from the minorities’ community. In all these combined effort of the various departments has resulted in paving the way for all round development of persons from the minority community in the state. In the minority dominated areas of the state there are about 48 police stations in the state which has resulted in a feeling of safety amongst people hailing from the minority community.

Shahi Imam bats for Trinamool-Cong combine

Kolkata: With less than a month for the Lok Sabha polls, Shahi Imam of Tipu Sultan Mosque S M Noorur Rahman Barkati appealed to the Muslim voters of the state to vote for candidates put up by the Trinamool-Congress alliance so that a Congress government can be formed at the Centre.

“What would happen in Singur if Mamata Banerjee was not there?” he asked. “In the last 32 years when the CPM has been in power, nothing has been done to uplift the minorities. We have no access to education or government jobs. The Sachar Committee report shows the sad state of the Muslims in West Bengal,” he added.

The Shahi Imam said when the Left Front government was establishing itself, it took away land from the zamindars and distributed it among the poor. “At that time the Muslim community stood by the Left Front. But today they are taking away land from the poor and giving it to the Tatas,” he said. He added that over the last three decades the “Left Front raj” has become the “gunda raj of the cadres”.

He lambasted the CPM for voting together with the BJP against the secular Congress government in the Centre last year. Pointing out the various problems of the Muslim community in Bengal, he said the Left Front government has not been able to fulfil its promise of making Urdu a second language in schools. “They have taken over our colleges like Lady Brabourne College and now our girls find it difficult to get admission there,” he said.

The Shahi Imam also said he had a discussion with the Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee that when she comes to power, she will try to fulfill the demands of the minority community.

“Reservation based on religion is not possible,” :BUDDHADEB

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee ruled out any reservation on the basis of religion, saying such a quota was not possible. “Reservation based on religion is not possible,” Bhattacharjee told a delegation of the National Commission for Minorities, led by its chairman Md Safi Quereshi.

Quereshi earlier said that the state’s minorities demanded reservation during an interaction with the Commission yesterday.The commission chairman was talking to reporters after the delegation met the CM as part of its visit to assess the status of minorities in the state.

Asked about the Commission’s views on reservation for the minorities, Quereshi said, “it’s a policy matter. I can’t say anything without discussing it with the Centre.” Quereshi said that the Chief Minister also told the delegation that Muslims should not feel isolated even if the minorities were not facing any crisis other than some socio-economic problems in the state.

However, the state government was trying hard to solve all their problems and upgrade their social and economic status through various development programmes and opportunities for employment, Bhattacharjee told the delegates.

During its visit, the Commission interacted with minorities, including Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs and Muslims and reviewed the problems faced by them. Meanwhile, Minister of State for Minorities Affairs and Madrasah Education Abdus Sattar said that taking in view of the socio-economic problems of the minorities, the state government has earmarked Rs 400 crore in the budget.