US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

'Muslim Agenda' calls for unity among secular parties

Five leading Muslim religious parties today stated that ''political frustration in the second largest community is due to under representation in the power structure and public employment,'' and alleged that Muslims face discrimination in the distribution of development and welfare benefits.

Releasing a 34-point 'Muslim Agenda' at a press conference in New Delhi, which will be presented to the secular parties, leaders of the organisations said that the community's political frustration was sought to be exploited by anti-secular forces.

The organisations -- Jamat Islami, Jamait Ulema Hind, Milli Council, All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Majlis Mushawarat -- said the Muslim community felt frustrated at the disarray among the secular forces and urged them to form an alliance to contain the tide of communalism in the country.

The press conference was addressed by Prof S D Soz, Syed Shahabuddin, Mohamed Sirajul Hasan of Jamat Islami, Kamal Farooqi of Milli Council and Maulana Mehmood Madni of Jamait Islami.

Prof Soz said the secular parties must close their ranks through alliances so as to avoid a split in secular votes. He and Syed Shahabuddin said it was very unfortunate that many secular groups were fighting against each other, thus giving political advanatge to the communal parties in the elections.

Prof Soz said religious leaders would hold extensive discussions with representatives of the Congress, the Left parties, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Samajwadi Party and other groups to discuss the agenda and to pursuade them to form some sort of alliance so as to give one to one fight to the BJP and its partners.

He ruled out discussions with the BJP allies, saying they had already aligned with communal forces.

The Muslim Agenda suggests creation of departments of minority affairs at the Centre and in the state, directly under the prime minister and chief ministers.

It also underlines the need to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee on minorities in Parliament and introduction of reservation for Muslims and other backward classes in the legislatures. On the educational and economic fronts, the agenda spells out the need of reservations for Muslims in technical institutions, besides professional courses.

The agenda also demands restoration of the Babri Masjid to the community for reconstruction of their mosque and exemption of Wakf properties from the Rent Control Act.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report