How AMU Alumni Can Help Out the Sachar Report

The report by the Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee on the social, economic and educational status of Muslims across the country was presented to the Indian Parliament in November, 2006. It may have been an eye-opener to many, but for those of us aware of the conditions of Indian Muslims its contents were nothing new. Muslims in India rank today among the most backward communities in terms of their economic, social and educational status. By some economic and social measures they are falling behind the Dalits, the erstwhile "untouchables", who were not even granted a place in the Hindu caste hierarchy.

Muslims account for more than 13% of India's population, yet they make up only 1.7% of the undergraduate-class in the seven Indian Institutes of Technology, India's version of a 'technology Ivy League'. This underrepresentation is seen elsewhere too. Among the nation's bureaucratic elite, Muslims comprise 3% of the staff in the Indian Administrative Service, and only 1.8% in the diplomatic corps.

It is an acknowledged fact now that Muslims, after living for sixty years in independent India, have been pushed to the bottom of the barrel. This has happened despite the fact that the country's constitution guarantees equal opportunity to all citizens and is obligated to prevent discrimination on the basis of religion, caste and creed. Today, when India is vying to become the next superpower, the dilemma of us Muslims is that we have no significant role to play in the glory days of the nation that lie ahead. The Sachar Committee report simply tells us that we are not even on the team. So what should the next step be to correct this problem ?

The committee's recommendations are encouraging, but there is no guarantee that they will be implemented, and even if they are, it may not be enough to move Muslims up to the next level. We should take steps on our own to ensure that these recommendations are followed upon. We have to seek control of our own destiny. Many initiatives need to be taken and should be undertaken by all who agree to the Sachar report's proposals regarding the plight of the Muslims.

Because of its past achievements, and future possibilities, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and its alumni can play a pivotal role in having the Sachar Committee's recommendations acted upon. But one has to be careful in going about this. AMU as a university, and its alumni, may be working towards the same goal, but their approaches will likely be different.

The premises and intellectual infrastructure of AMU should not be turned into the de-facto platform to raise such issues. AMU is an educational institution and therefore should remain a center of learning. It is best adhering to methodologies that turn it into a premier university. The effort to get the recommendations implemented should be initiated off campus, by the well-wishers and alumni of AMU. We wouldn't want AMU to be hijacked by self seekers who in the pretext of taking up the Sachar Committee's proposals would only be furthering their individual causes.

The AMU alumni have generally done well throughout the world. Sadly, barring some exceptions, there are not many among them powerful enough to effect major changes. It is indeed a problem, but fortunately, the core of the problem hints of the solution.

Most of the AMU alumni are generally on the second tier when it comes to leadership responsibilities. The reasons for this are obvious. Due to the Muslim community being deprived in so many ways to begin with, AMU doesn't get to admit the top scholars. Not only are there not very many of them available among the Muslims, but the few who are snapped up by the elite Indian educational institutions. This creates a challenge to begin with at the supply-line of Muslim scholars.

The first step therefore should be to create an infrastructure, at the ground-level, so that the quality of the Muslim college entrants is improved. We should work at the lower planes, such as in the "mohallas", to improve the quality of "what goes in", so that "what comes out" at the later stage is even better. Only then will there be an uplifting of the community in the broadest sense.

On the more micro levels we will have to cherry-pick in order to spot the brightest and smartest. Going by the axiom that "it takes a whole village to raise a child", the AMU Alumni, as denizens of that "village", should thus work on raising a few of those "children", who will then have the opportunity to be another Dr. Abdul Kalam, the former president of India.

We don't have to, nor should we wait for the government to implement what is in the Sachar Committee Report. From time to time, especially during election periods, the government will do its part. But that will be too late, and probably not enough. We should take our destiny in our hands, so that in future there is no need for specifically appointed committees to study the conditions of Muslims in independent and secular India.

We Muslims from India are spread all over the world. We have to pool our resources and work with a common focus towards the micro and macro-level objectives outlined above. Here in the United States, various alumni associations are working towards such goals. It wouldn't be out of place to mention that the Aligarh Alumni Association of New England has acknowledged the proposals of Sachar Committee Report, and is in the forefront of contributing towards the feeder-level, which I define as the ground-level or the starting-block. We need others to follow suit. Let the good work begin.

Tanvir Salim
December 2007

The Failure of Indian Muslim Leadership

In any democracy, elections come and go, and so they do in India. But in that country, election results do not seem to amount to much for the economically deprived. It doesn't matter who ends up the ruler. Sooner or later he or she begins to behave similarly as the one who has been replaced. And many among the unfortunate remain as they were -- poor, undernourished, and uneducated.

It is a pity that time and again elections seem to bring renewed hope to the downtrodden. There would be hope perhaps if the elected leaders came, so to say, from some distant world. But in reality they turn out to be cards of the same deck, shuffled manifold to present a different face and an ever attendant utopian vision. The gullible among the masses never catch onto these tricks.

This has happened especially to Muslims, and far too often. The Muslim community takes great pride in participating in electoral politics and patronizing one political party after another, all along with the false impression that it controls its destiny and that its voice counts. Yes, its voice does count. But due to lack of sound leadership, Muslims end up repeating the same mistake time and again.

Good leadership is a rare commodity. It wasn't present among us at the hour of India's birth as a nation. As a result, Muslims in the subcontinent suffered through one of biggest human exoduses ever. We failed ourselves then, and today, after decades of turmoil, we are continuing to do a bad job of it.

A small consolation is the fact that today's Indian Muslim seems to have finally realized where he truly stands. Whenever he has to prove his patriotism he makes a good show of it. Last year, in Boston at the Hatch Shell, on the occasion of India's Independence Day, the members of the Aligarh Alumni Association of New England filled the air with a spirited rendition of Iqbal's "Saare Jahan se Achcha, Hindustan Hamara".

This is then, about us. Now let us take a look at our leadership.

It is not as if there is a shortage of Muslim leaders. They can be found in every nook and cranny of India. Some of them are involved in genuinely useful activity. They are working diligently for the betterment of the downtrodden. But there is not enough of this, and most of it comes too late.

In New Delhi, I was surprised to discover that the people, mostly Muslims, who are settled on the land around Batala House near Jamia University, have to beg for water from the colonies nearby. They do not have clean water to drink. This is in a region where the river Jamuna once flowed. If such is the condition of Muslims in the nation's capital, one can only try to imagine the dire situations in the more remote villages, many of which are inaccessible and therefore lack recourse to outside assistance.

We do have a few Muslims in high places, but to no apparent benefit to the community? Have we seen any good come out from a Muslim being appointed Vice President, or even President of India? I don't believe so. Such political developments provide no more than a false sense of euphoria and become choice pieces of conversation at social gatherings. The harsher realities though are never far away.

Some among the Muslims have played the game of politics very well and got themselves elected to positions of authority. But they have failed to do anything for the weak constituents they claim to represent. A telling fact is that today a few of the Muslim communities trail even the Dalits in certain aspects.

All this did not come about overnight. The Muslim leadership which evolved since partition has always been at the mercy of the ruling elite, i.e., the Congress Party. The Muslims were kept satisfied and happy with a few ministerial posts every now and then. But those portfolios never really amounted to much. When was the last time we were given the education, home, or finance ministries in the central government, or elsewhere? The answer is a distressing eye-opener.

Muslim political leadership in India remains a misnomer. Nor have the Indian Muslims done much to make a success of their platform.

Tanvir Salim
December 2007

Indian Muslims Cannot Afford to Fall Behind Again

Incidents of bomb blasts in its cities and other such upheavals notwithstanding, India is quickly becoming a player among the world's powerful nations. It is ready to join the "Big-Boys League". Everything about it might not be quite as shiny as Indians would like to claim, but no matter! After all, there are dark spots on the moon as well. And yet the moon captivates.

We have seen the march of India over the last fifty-plus years. It has gone from being an underdeveloped country to one that is galloping ahead economically and grabbing attention. During the journey, some mistakes have been made. Some opportunities have been lost along the way. There has been injustice, and worse still, many who were undeserving were hoisted up to positions of power and influence. But such is life. We learn from our mistakes and take the next step forward.

For the Muslims, the journey has been no different. Against all odds the determined and hardworking among them have succeeded. There has been discrimination against their community, but opportunities have been forwarded as well.

Most of us Muslims were unable to utilize those resources to our best advantage. And we have been guilty of waiting for opportunities to be handed to us. We didn't avail of the government schools and universities as much as we could have, preferring to be educated in our own Muslim supported institutions. And thus we lost considerable energy reinventing the wheel.

The news is better now. The Muslim middle class is on the move and participating in every walk of life. However, those at the lower level need help, and lots of it.

It is the better placed among our community who have to make a difference in the lives of those not quite as fortunate. We have to share what we have been blessed with and what we have attained. Sadly, our disunity prevents agreement over the measures that are to be taken. This did not hurt our cause as much in the past. Zamindars and the Taluqdars, who had plenty, shared some of their wealth for services rendered. That is no longer the case.

The Revolt of 1857 brought about a dramatic change. Since the Muslims had taken an active part in the mutiny, they were punished by the British and forced onto the sidelines. Muslims also played a major role in the subsequent Freedom Movement, but they could recover fully from what happened to them in the aftermath of the 1857 revolt. The reasons for this are many. The fact remains that over the last century and half, it has been a downhill slide for the Muslims in India.

This dawn of the 21st century has brought along a new attitude and opportunities for each and everyone in India. We are also witnessing changes in the mindset of the Indian Muslim. Indian Muslims have traveled widely and settled in many parts of the world. At some places they are struggling. At others, they have made a name for themselves.

These successful ones are in a position to do their part, however small, to change the lives of their less well-off "brothers and sisters" in India. As a Hindustani saying goes: "Boond boond se sindhu bana hai, sindhu sindhu se yeh saagar". In America they say in the same vein that "every dollar counts."

The good news is that we Muslims abroad are indeed trying to help out. The not-so-good news is that so far it hasn't been enough.

We do not seem to be good advocates for ourselves. And unfortunately, images and sound-bytes tend to capture all the attention. It is the reason why, e.g., comments are made on tennis player Sania Mirza's dress but not on her game. On the more important issues, there is too often no more than a lukewarm response. And part of the fault lies in the issues not being raised forcefully enough, and not dramatically enough.

Not too long ago, I had raised the prospect of funding for a school. There did not seem to be much support. Perhaps I should have brought out pictures of malnourished children squatting on cold, hard floors. Other communities have used such imagery when advocating their causes, and made good progress.

We have to adopt these "tricks" and "tools of the trade" too. We are short on resources and have woken up late to the plight of the Indian Muslims. We need to do better.

Tanvir Salim
May 2008

Let not the Hope Die

One of my recent travelogues drew out many sincere questions from concerned well wishers. Clearly there are those of you who are concerned about the fate of the less privileged masses in India, which include many Muslims. These people have not had a chance as yet to share in the nation's pie of prosperity. They have suffered for long.

India has always been a country with a rigid division between a small number of haves and the huge mass of have-nots. There is no denying that fact. It also a land where the rule "jiski laathi uski bhains" seems to apply. The "laathi" means more than one thing. It can be a stick, or it can be education. It can be whom one knows, or it can be about how well positioned one is. It can refer to the extent to which one flows with the tide, or the risks one is willing to take.

When there are so many factors affecting one's destiny, the answers to how one goes about life in India cannot be all that simple. Certainly India has failed to provide for most of its population. It has also failed to lift the minorities to the higher level. But, should we be calling all this a failure on its part ?

I don't think so. In spite of rampant corruption, lack of leadership at multiple levels, widespread inefficiency, and the menace of an exploding population, India has begun running in the global race. The newer contest for supremacy and dominance among nations has only started. This is for the long haul. Participating in the race is the more important thing for now. Let another country be ahead today. Maybe by tomorrow, the race will be India's.

The relevant question for us is how to expedite matters. We as individuals can only contribute at the micro levels. These contributions are not likely to change the landscape overnight. But there are many in today's India who are feeling empowered. They know much more than we think they do.

They are charting their own ways forward, not waiting for a maseeha to arrive. They are voting bad administrations out of power. They are punishing the corrupt. They are being receptive to the better values of western society and absorbing them in their lives.

I am not talking about the middle class, but those who have yet to climb up to that level. The competition is fierce, but so is their determination. They are ready to beg, borrow or steal to make a fresh start and get ahead in life. With an attitude like that, there is no turning back for them. These people are the islands of hope in a still considerably sized sea of impoverishment.

The situation is not without its challenges. There are no really simple solutions to the problems. India is no longer in its infancy now and has covered some ground as a nation. Yet there is much apprehension about what lies ahead. However, one should keep in mind that sixty years is not a great period of time in a country's existence. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day.

The questions put forward about the have-nots are valid. A small minority of the Indians are reaping the most benefit while the huge majority still scrambles to meet basic necessities. But let's not be hasty and start trashing the country for that. Let's not lose hope. This is an important juncture for the nation, and all we need are a few good citizens who can steer the country and keep it on the correct path. I have seen the goodness among people. Most of us rise to the occasion when called to do so.

Do you agree ?

Tanvir Salim
December 5, 2007

A Mini "Safarnama"

During a recent visit to India, I saw first-hand in Delhi examples of 'India Shinning'.

The newly installed Metro-commuter train promised and delivered efficient and fast public transportation. People all over the city projected confidence. If was as if everyone had been taken in with the importance of being an Indian at this time, the right time. The recent success of the Indian cricket team gave another boost to the sense of national pride.

There seemed to be some less healthy reasons too for the pervasive confidence. Many compared the dismal political conditions in neighboring South Asian countries to India's and felt even better about themselves. Some smiled at my dollar-dependent existence in the United States, obviously finding glee in the fact that the dollar has been falling against most foreign currencies.

Then there was the more complicated matter of the Modi government's role in the pogrom of Muslims in Gujarat five years ago, which had been finally exposed. Some expressed remorse at the findings, but there were many who were angry.

There were also mixed opinions on the prospects of the India-U.S. nuclear treaty, a matter connected closely with India's assertiveness on the global stage. My father reasoned that it was a matter of time before the treaty would be ratified.

I travelled from Delhi to Gorakhpur, my hometown, which has developed and grown in size. It used to be a sleepy city not far from the Nepal border. Now it is a much more vital urban center.

It has had for long a sizeable Muslim population, and is also well known among Hindus for the Gorakhnath Temple, which happens to be in my neighborhood. The 'mahant' of the temple, Yoginath, is a member of parliament from the Gorakhpur constituency, and belongs to an organization called the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

His sermons are often controversial. He is known to be excessively combative and often verbally jabs below the belt, causing some to claim that the standing of the temple he is associated with is lowered. On a more positive note, Yoginath also operates a modern hospital next to the temple, which treats and admits the Muslim population from the nearby mohallas. I did hear that in the hospital Muslims are treated no differently than anyone else.

Gorakhpur happens to be the headquarters of the North-Eastern Railways. Passing through the railway-colony, one sees scores of employee living quarters. They all look as those belonging to low level employees, and have the name-plates of the occupants on the front doors. To my dismay, I did not see a single Muslim name.

Till about thirty years ago, Gorakhpur used to be well regarded for its handloom products. That industry is no more. A hint of the labor exodus having taken place is the large number of people in the area offering to be household-help. The handlooms are silent, and the weaver and the artisans are opting for low-paying and professionally insignificant jobs as laborers and domestic servants. It's a pity! The person who could design a "jacquard" print, a task not dissimilar to programming a computer, and put that onto beautiful looking linen, is now working at a construction site or is pulling rickshaws.

I visited a few schools that admit the poorest sections of the population. There is a one by the name of Maulana Azad School. Through help from the local population, and some funding from abroad, schools such as these have been able to set up the basic infra-structure, including computing and Internet facilities. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the boy-students were enthusiastic about their studies, and eager to use their education productively. A similar spirit was lacking among the girls. They were resigned to the fact that such education would get them nowhere, that their destiny was simply an early marriage, housework, and bringing up children. Unfortunately there are no female role- models in the local area to makes these girls become more assertive about their destiny.

In Lucknow, Rahul Gandhi, scion of the country's most famous ruling family was paying a visit. The streets were full of welcome signs. From the vast number of banners strung all over town, and their high-quality presentation, it was hard to believe that Gandhi's party lacked political clout in the assembly elections. However, the chief minister, Mayawati, who is not of Gandhi's Congress party, rules the state like a queen. It seems that she will have an even larger political role to play in future.

In New Delhi politics, there was the usual legislative discussion about reserving slots for Muslims in different disciplines. There is no question that such reservation cannot be based on simply the plight of the Muslim population. That will not be accepted in the courts. A suggested way out is to use the reservation granted to Muslims in the OBC quota. It won't cover all of them, but it will cover most of those Muslims who are deprived economically. So far, it looks like a workable plan.

Tanvir Salim
December 2007

India-United States Nuclear Treaty 2008

Following are Excerpts of some of the letters published on the subject issue:

THE TIMES OF INDIA
Jul 17, 2008

Vast majority of Muslim MPs to vote for N-deal

Tanvir Salim, Boston, USA, says: This is no surprise that Muslim MPs are going to vote for the nuclear deal. I hope that majority of MPS are going to vote for the deal. It reflects the general mood of the Muslims in India. Muslims in India are determined not to be taken for granted. Muslims will not get hijacked by the politicians who create phobia in the minds of the Muslims and tell them that they are different from rest of the masses and hence should behave differently. That is not so. Majority of Muslims in India are like rest of the Indians. They have common goals, common expectations, and they are willing to flow with the tide. This is the new reality. The welcoming reality of this century.

THE HINDU
Jul 12, 2008

Letters to the Editor

Nuclear deal

We should remember that the nuclear deal is not just a deal with the U.S. It has the potential to open more avenues with many other countries. It is a great opportunity for India. With this deal, India will get access to the most advanced civilian nuclear technology

Tanvir Salim,

Canton

THE TIMES OF INDIA
Jun 26, 2008

UPA Govt Weighing options on Nuclear Deal

Tanvir Salim, Boston, USA, says: At this time the burden is entirely on the Samajwadi Party (SP) led by Mulayam Singh Yadav. SP, by supporting UPA has to send a strong message to the Left that this deal is not about Muslim votes (as Left is trying to make them believe), but is about how the water is going to be boiled in the future to generate electricity. India has to generate electricity to continue on the path of progress. The sanity has to prevail. The political parties have to do the right thing. How can they ignore the voice of wisdom from the old sage, in this case our very own, former President, Dr. Kalam, who has endorsed this deal with the United States. It is strange that suggestions have being made to tap the "exotic" sources, like wind, solar and geo-thermal, etc., but we should remember that these sources are not adequate to fuel the engine of growth which will catapult India to a higher level. In today's world when India is daring to compete with countries like China, India needs all the tools of the trade. Having enough power or electricity is veritable requisite. How can we compete when our factories will not have power? We can not compete when our people are awake all night because they can't sleep because there is not enough electricity to keep the fans and air conditioner's operational. Some have apprehensions about the future impact of the Hyde's Act. Since no body has the crystal glass, but we have to walk the talk to know what future brings. Not taking the risk itself is a big risk.

Note - It may be simply a co-incident that after the publication of this letter, Mulayam Singh Yadav along with his confidant Amar Singh drove to Dr Kalam's house to get his opinion about the deal. Rest is history - Tanvir Salim

THE TIMES OF INDIA
Jun 19, 2008

McCain, invoking India, promises 100 N-plants

Tanvir Salim, Boston, USA, says: There should be no doubt that in the future nuclear power plants are going to be used all around the world to generate electricity. The reason is simple. Nuclear power plants are safe, economical and environment friendly.

THE TIMES OF INDIA
Jun 25, 2008

Left-UPA flashpoint passes, but N-issue simmers

Tanvir Salim , Boston, USA , says: There is a price that has to be paid when we live in a democratic setup, like India. India-USA nuclear deal is a classic example of this situation. Arriving at a consensus is very important when the stakes are too high. It is my firm belief that common sense will prevail when all is said and done. Whatever is best for India will happen. In my opinion, clinching the nuclear deal is in India's interest and all political parties will rise to the occassion and will decide in the favor of this deal. Sometimes we have to sacrifice the short term interests for long term goals.

Expressindia.com
Jun 19, 2008

India-USA Nuclear Deal

The ongoing debate has to stop. This is the time for the government to make a decision. India has to select the type of fuel that will harness the energy to produce electricity. When no other sources available which are clean, Uranium provides endless possibilities. India can access Uranium only by signing this remarkable deal with the United States. This is the time to seize the opportunity.

ECONOMIC TIMES
Jun 13, 2008

Tanvir Salim , Boston, USA , says: It will be a "Himalayan Blunder" if India is not able to ink the remarkable deal with the United States. The growth of the country depends on its ability to generate clean and efficient electricity. This growth will be retarded if the capability to generate electricity is not available. This deal provides more than what India could have asked for.

Letter to the Editor:
BOSTON GLOBE
March 3, 2006

Nuclear Treaty with India

Dear sir/madam:

The recently signed civilian nuclear treaty between India and United States provides a win-win situation for all. This will reduce India's dependence on fossil fuels for its growing energy needs and thus this will help to curtail the emission of green house gases from that part of the world. For United States, the most powerful democracy, it will provide an opportunity to work closely with the biggest democracy of the world. These two democracies needs to be teamed together to fight the global threats of terrorism and global warming etc. It is location and location matters. With Pakistan at one side and China on another, India will play a very significant role in the coming decades. Apart from this, India has the second largest Muslim population in the world, and we should not forget that no one from this Muslim population, in spite of being instigated from the western border, has joined the terrorist bandwagon like al-Qaida. Muslims in India know how to live within the frame work of democracy. Peaceful demonstrations against Mr. Bush are an example.

Thanking you
Tanvir Salim
30 Skyline Circle
Canton, MA 02021

Problem in Muslims is the Lack of Leadership

In-spite of the fact that I have left India about a quarter of a century ago; my interest for the minorities in India always remained strong. I have found India as a country with a large Muslim population living amidst a larger Hindu population. For centuries both these communities have co-exist side by side in peace, but this peace is often shattered into pieces and then one realizes the fragility of the relationship between them. Some of the reasons for this fragility can be found in the pages of the history. There are discrepancies in the life style and in the social status between these two communities as well as in the sub communities which are the tributaries of these communities. Some attribute this to the discrimination, which is prevalent in India. The blame is also put on the leadership or on the lack of Muslim leadership.

Muslims were not in the deprived conditions all the times. They had ruled the country for the past many centuries. So what went wrong and where it went wrong? It is not correct to point fingers in every possible direction; there may be short comings in us too. On one side, after our famous 'tryst with destiny', we as a country did many things that were correct and appropriate, but on the other hand, there were occasions where we failed as a nation. We took great pride in electing the occupants of the 'Rashtrapati Bhawan', a Muslim, Sikh or Dalit. But how can we look straight in the eyes of the mother in Moradabad, who on the fateful day of Eid in the early1980s was waiting for her children to come back home after offering Eid prayer? How about the widow whose husband was lynched by a mob when Indira Gandhi was assassinated? It is not important under whose watch these dastardly incidents happened, but what disturbs is that why we failed to learn the lessons and similar incidents were repeated again after a couple of decades in Gujarat and elsewhere? In my opinion, it is due to the absence of the leadership everywhere and at all levels.

In spite of the fact that the Mumbai carnage got the government to its knees, the country is moving forward on the path of optimism with new found confidence. Muslims are in a dilemma, they want to participate in this progress like everybody else. But at places, they find themselves alienated and their loyalty being questioned. They are looked with suspicion. When they turn around to find who is advocating for their cause, they get a jolt. Like always, nobody. They lack a leader. This lack of leadership at this juncture is detrimental to their cause. If everything depends on the timing, then certainly this doesn't bode very well for them. This is the time like no other time. Muslims need a leader. Muslims need a leader, desperately.

The Indian Muslims born after India gained independence never faced the apprehension which our fore-fathers faced. For them it must have been difficult to decide whether to ride to the crest of the wave to opt for the new country which was creating a sense of euphoria to many. In the future, it had not taken long to realize that this birth of a new nation was one of the biggest mistakes of that century. Pakistan was created because there was a lean and determined Gujarati on one side and on the other side there was another lean Gujarati, who eventually succumbed to the mounting pressure of his colleagues. The creation of Pakistan witnessed the biggest migration of the human being in the recorded history. I hear that such was the magnitude of the tragedy that some trains that were leaving with the living human beings from one side of the border, were arriving at the destination loaded with dead bodies. The debate whether this tragedy could have been avoided or not, continues. Now at this stage in time, in my opinion, this is merely a topic for historians. To move forward, we have to leave it behind.

The condition of the Muslims in India at the best can be described as dismal. During partition, a major portion of the Muslim intelligentsia had left the country for the dream land in the hope for green pastures. At that time, some of the Muslims who were a part of the feudal system were leading a satisfactory life, but the majority of other Muslims were struggling to find both ends meet and this downwards slide continued. Today, even after more than sixty years after the independence, Muslims are still behind in every aspect of the life. The intensity of these differences is acknowledged in the report prepared by the Sachar Committee, which was formed by the Prime Minister to study the economic conditions of the Muslims in India. According to this report, the condition of Muslims is pathetic. They constitute only about 5% in the government jobs and only 3 % in the elite Civil Services. This adequately raises an alarm when seen in the context of the total Muslim population in the country.

After independence, there were scant opportunities which took the country towards the path of progress. The ones, who were better educated, reaped the fruits of the independence. The Muslims generally lagged behind because they lacked self confidence and were poorly educated. There was nobody to motivate and guide them. Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) provided quality education, but was inadequate. For the Muslims, the greatest challenge was at the feeder level. In the beginning, the children of the Muslim feudal class were quick to avail the opportunity provided by AMU. Later, students from other diverse backgrounds also benefited from this great institution. Apart from AMU, the scions of the feudal and well to do families had access to other institutions and by the education they received there, they became engineers, doctors, lawyers, and other officials which formed the back bone of the Muslim middle class, which still was quite small in size. The rest of the Muslim masses, mainly artisans, small peasants and day laborers had no access and incentive for the modern education. Thus, they remained, by and large confined to their hereditary professions.

In business and various other fields Muslims were also at the bottom and were living by exiguous incomes. Along with the resources, they lacked the skills needed to conduct the business. The Muslim artisans, to some extent flourished in the cottage industry, because of their skills, and hard work, but since they were not cautious and diligent, the profit was generally cornered by the middlemen. This is another example where due to lack of leadership, an opportunity was lost. It was not like that for all the time, I remember vividly, in the mid seventies in Uttar Pradesh, under the leadership of my grandfather, who was then the small scale industries minister in the state government, the artisans were flourishing. But that ended with the change in the government policies and the fact that there was nobody to advocate for them. As a result, the small scale industry, which was the pride of the lower and middle class Muslim artisans, died a slow and tragic death. It is a pity that those artisans who were able to program their handlooms on the basic principles of today's computers, are working as day labor and as petty vendors in the neighborhoods. However far fetched it may sound, but there is some truth in the allegations that some of the riots were systematically planned to destroy the localities where Muslims had achieved economic prosperity. In this context Meerut, Moradabad, and Aligarh is freely mentioned.

In spite of the fact that Sachar Committee report is a true reflection of the conditions of the Indian Muslims, I strongly believe that the Indian Muslims have not lost the hope. They believe in the democratic principles and vote for their best. They actively participate in the vote politics, and punish and reward the politicians with vengeance. They are aware of the discrimination, which daily stares them in their face, yet this does not deter them from making an attempt to move forward. They realize that they are not alone in being discriminated. They do notice that every other Indian is being discriminated by another Indian, at least once in their life time. One of the facets of the discrimination originates from the caste system. This malaise is prevalent in both the religions. In one religion, it is well documented, whereas in another, it is practiced clandestinely. For Hindus, it has worked for their advantage because of the reservation that is guaranteed through the Indian constitution. Like Hindus, some classes of Muslims are more deprived than the others, but because of a discrimatory constitution amendment in 1950, they don't have any protection or reservation to elevate their position to bring them equal to their well to do brethren. To many this is a genuine cause for concern.

Let us ponder about the issues of the leadership. One of the casualties of the great migration after partition was the absence of Muslim leadership on the Indian side. After Independence, for decades the country was single-handedly ruled by a single political party, i.e., Congress party, which thrived on the support provided by the Muslims and other minority groups. Since the Congress party lacked inner party democracy, the leadership was entirely based on the nomination process, which was at the fancy and mercy of the party high command. Often, Muslims were selected and groomed based on the loyalty factor and were imposed on the populace in quest to gain the maximum mileage during the elections. In this process, where loyalty was the sole criteria, nolens volens, genuine grass-root leaders were sidelined to give way to the sycophants, who were there for their self interests. As a result, the interest of the common people became a casualty. The failure of the Congress to protect the minorities during communal flare-ups was seen intentional, because of the compulsions of the vote bank politics. Some even say that the Congress was working on the British doctrine of 'divide and rule' and believed that by creating a phobia of Hindu resurgent, they will force Muslims to flock to the Congress for protection. Such was the moral bankruptcy of the Muslim leadership that they were scared to raise the issues of Muslim security in the legislative bodies, because they thought that this act of theirs will chastise them for working against the party line. This honeymoon with the Congress lasted for quite some time, and produced leaders, some of them, although were pygmies in stature, but attained high offices and decorated the Parliament and other legislative bodies. This worked very well, cemented our secular credentials, and caught the imagination of the world. But unfortunately, this did not give the full return on the deposit. The deposit here was being the Muslim votes.

The Muslim leaders who were cultivated in the past were not effective, because they lacked the ability to get elected on their own. Never mind vision, they generally lacked the other ingredients needed to win an election, i.e., charisma, money and muscle power. There are Muslims desiring to be the leader who have access to the money and muscle power both, but they lack respectability and their acceptability level is low. Once elected, it is observed that they generally focus on getting access to more muscle and money power, because they are aware that in a wooden utensil, one can only cook, once.

The dilemma of being deprived of having a Muslim leader who was not nurtured from the lowest ranks amongst the Muslims had serious consequence which is being noticed in our day to day life. Why the Indian Muslims could not get their own types of Laloo, Chandra Babu Naidu, Narendra Modi or Mayawati? If we look carefully, we will notice that for all the time after independence there was no Muslim leader of towering personality. The last time we had a Muslim leader; it was either Jinnah or Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, with all India appeal. When Jinnah departed to Pakistan, the only Muslim leader who was in the field was Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, who unfortunately was systematically marginalized by the leaders of the Congress Party. Minus Azad, it may not be out of place to mention that the last Muslim leader India had was Mahatma Gandhi, who paid th e ultimate price for being the leader of the Muslims. In the second and third levels, there were many who dominated the landscape, but they had limited and localized appeal, along with the shorter shelf life. Their credibility got low, because to get elected, they compromised on the principles and hopped from one party to another. It is sad that were not given the leadership roles by virtue of their following among the masses, but they were there holding high as well as low positions because of the privilege of the access they had with the powerful satraps of small regional parties. Having no grass root support, they were made leaders by the virtue of simply co-incidence.

Looking at the past, we will realize that Indian Muslims after being betrayed by the Congress Party have put their destiny in the hands of the local leaders, like Mulayam, Laloo and recently Mayawati. Was that a wise move, or a simple act of sheer desperation? When the choice is between two evils, the good practice is to choose the lesser evil. But we should not forget that by doing so, we loose an opportunity to nurture or develop a leader from ourselves - a leader, who we always lacked and who when patronized by us, could cater to our needs.

So far, the upper echelons of the Muslim community, who were better educated than the socially and economically weaker sections, provided the Muslim leadership. This provided leaders, who were sincere, but generally were not effective. Since these leaders for most of the time were from affluent background, they had no clear understanding, nor did they ever attempt to understand the challenges faced by the common Muslim. As a consequence, they were not in a position to work for the betterment of the Muslim community in the first place. On the other hand, the leadership of the weaker section of the Muslim community gained momentum with the advent of All India Momin Conference, but gradually with the passage of time and due to the lack of foresight, this movement fizzled out.

It is sad. But in India, the votes are cast on the basis of caste affiliations. In today's political scenario, some of the electoral gains made by the parties and the leaders are on the basis of the numerical strength of the caste they are affiliated with. By the same token, the person who is vying to be the Muslim leader should be in a position to affiliate him with birth or with association with the caste that has an advantage over others in the number game. In spite of the fact that Islam prohibits division based on caste and creed, the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent to some extent, practice the caste system, which basically is adopted from the Hindu caste hierarchy. On the basis of the caste system, the Muslim community is highly stratified and the economically weak are placed at the bottom. Although this section constitutes the bulk of the Muslim population, but politically they have been marginal ized. It will play to the advantage of the Muslim leader, if he belonged to one of the marginalized groups, because numerically these groups have tremendous advantage over the others and since democracy is the game of numbers, this approach will not be inconsequential and will pay rich dividends. The dividend can be a Muslim Mulayam or Laloo or even another Muslim Mayawati.

There is a need for an ebullient Muslim leader who can perform and negotiate based on his credibility without the aid of crutches. The crutches in politics generally are the patronage of business houses, or a godfather, like Kanshi Ram, who was doing the ground work for decades. It may still be not too late, for the Kanshi Rams of the Muslims to emerge. It will be advantageous to the Muslim leader if he is capable to provide for himself and his family by his own means. This way he will not forgo the pledge to his constituents and will not become a participant in the mechanism to generate money by questionable means. It is tragic, but the leader simply became a sycophant to the local center of powerful.

The person has to be educated, widely travelled, and should have the vision to look beyond the spoils of the power. The person should be able to inspire for the change and be able to provide hope. The person should know how to get connected with the people of Kashmir to convince them that a powerful and united India is the need of the day. He should be able to comfort the victims of Gujarat pogrom who are still struggling to put their lives back in order. He has to be believed by the migrant workers working in big cities, that he is aware of their plight and will advocate the case of their unfairly treatment. He should be equally comfortable in the company of the "rocket scientists" and should be on the same wave frequency with the not so educated constituents. That is the ideal leader we are looking for.

The foremost challenge for the Muslim leader will be to heal the indelible scars which are inscribed on the heart and soul of the Muslims. The Muslims are angry and frustrated over the happenings of the past. They have witnessed in dismay how Narendra Modi, a mendacious politician is able to build an empire on the graves of the Muslims, whose lives could have been saved. Their anger is a manifestation of their helplessness. During the independent movement some strayed and vented their frustration by killing the police personnel at a place called Chauri Chaura, in Gorakhpur. This single incident in all likelihood could have derailed the independence movement. But it was the charismatic leadership of Gandhi, which prevented another incident like this from happening elsewhere. Today, similar challenge is being faced by the Muslim leadership. The threat of the irresponsible outfits to creating chaos and hijack the Muslim leadership is real. To counter this calamity, we need a Muslim leader who can tame this tiger. We don't have a leader like Gandhi, whose fast to death will bring cold sweats on the forehead of the bravest of the time. The challenge for the Muslim leader will be to put a leash on these irresponsible and emotional outfits because they threatens to negate the hard-won gains of a new generation of Muslims who have defied the odds to emerge as successful entrepreneurs and professionals.

It will be difficult to convince Muslims that to change their destiny, they have to believe that the panacea is hard work and good education. Some may be hesitant in subscribing to the concept of education. Today's education is expensive and the gains of the education generally are not available immediately. In today's life, where the foremost challenge is to provide for food and other immediate needs, the gains that may come from the education in the future looses appeal. In-spite of this shortcoming, for long term goals, the merits of good education should be conveyed to all, because education has brought wonders to the ones who have subscribed to it. Our leadership should be able to open new avenues in a quest that good education is available to all. We have witnessed sincere Muslim leaders, rather than championing the cause of getting good education, will put all of their energies on the agendas of getting reservation for the Muslims. There is no denying that soliciting for reservation will be beneficial and communities with reservations have benefited from this. But the leader should not be naïf, and be careful enough to pick his battles. One should not choose the battle which is insurmountable and will divert all your energy from the goal and rather will focus more on the path to reach it. This will wear them on the tracks and will take the attention away from the goal. The Muslim leader should be clear about the short term and the long term goals. Asking for the reservation for Muslims in government services is the example of long term goal, whereas guiding and mentoring them in achieving good education by the available resources is an example of the short term goal.

It is my hope that the Muslim leadership is somewhere in the making and the day is not far of when the leadership will emerge. All we have to do is to keep looking and punishing the rotten ones and embracing the deserving ones. If we are not careful in our choices, then who we are going to vituperate?

My Thoughts after Mumbai under Attack - Nov 29, 2008

Whether rich or poor, it is mainly the innocents who are dead in Mumbai. From the local news paper, "Dainik Jagran", I gather that there were three people from Gorakhpur who were killed- two Muslims and one Hindu. They were there to make a living. One was killed when his taxi exploded; the others were caught in the crossfire.

I am saddened for these three people and for the hundred of other people who were brutally killed. Somebody, somewhere planned these murders, and then there were many who were the tools in executing this act of crime. The early reports say that the murderers were from a neighboring country and were the followers of the same religion. Many will chide me for bringing the issue of religion here. They may say that the killers and the murderers have no religion and there is no religion that approves the deed which they have performed.

I know that whatever they have done is against the very tenets of the religion which we all believe in. Yet, I am very disturbed. I am disturbed because this will not be the last act where people will be killed for no fault of theirs. I am also disturbed because the followers of this particular religion will not be the only ones to commit such a grave crime. The followers of other religions will also do the same thing, somewhere else. If we turn the pages of history we will notice how much blood has been shed in the name of religion. I don't know how to react? My way of reacting is by kneeling down and praying to Allah that all the hatred amongst us may end one day. Others might react in a different way. Some may get angry and do what was done to the Sikhs after the murder of Indira Gandhi. Some may react the way the neighbors reacted with each others when India was divided in 1947. In history lessons, I have been taught about the way how King Ashoka reacted after the Kalinga war. It is said, that he took a vow to not shed any blood.

They teach us history, so that we can learn from it.