Source: The Sangai Express /MIC
Imphal, March 14, 2010:
In connection with the ongoing campaign launched by the Popular Front of India (PFI) at Pune on January 31 a public meeting on national campaign for reservation of Muslims was held at Majorkhul Community Hall today.
Speaking at the meeting PFI State secretary Benjamin M Shah pointed out that in the report submitted to the Prime Minister in November 2006, the Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee had classified the entire muslim community as more backward than the other backward communities.
It is said that the Sachar Committee report mentioned population of Muslims in India as 13.4 percent with literacy rate of the Muslims at 59.1 percent which is against the national average of 65.17 percent.
The same report also highlighted that around 25 percent of Muslim children in the age group of six to 14 years has either never attended school or has dropped out at an early stage.
Against the national average of 15.3 percent, graduates among the Muslims is said to be 3.4 percent.
Benjamin Shah further maintained that gap between Muslims and other communities increases as the level of education rises, apart from the fact that unemployment rate is the highest in the Muslim community.
Stating that Muslims are mainly engaged in menial works with negligible number of them enjoying salaried jobs both in the public and private sectors compared to their counter-parts belonging to other communities, he also referred to the Sachar Committee report that highlighted marked improvement in the status of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes as the latter two had been enjoying benefits under the reservation system.
Stating that the PFI State unit would be handing over a memorandum to the Governor of Manipur highlighting plight of the Muslim community, Benjamin also said as a part of the PFI campaign public meetings, distribution of pamplet, poster campaigns, exhibitions and cultural shows are being held across the country.
A 'Parliament march' is scheduled tomorrow at New Delhi, he added.