"No reservations, no votes". This was the stern warning to the Congress party by a massive rally of Muslims, organized by Muslim Muttaehda Majlis-e-Amal, comprising of several organizations, in Hyderabad on Saturday night.
The rally, addressed by three members of Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, apart from the leaders of various political parties was attended by more than one lakh Muslims from different parts of Andhra Pradesh.
Apart from calling to take the movement for reservations for Muslims at the national level, the speakers also demanded a sub quota for Muslim women in the proposed 33% reservations for women in Parliament and assemblies.
Three Rajya Sabha members Dr,. Aijaz Ali, Saber Ali of the Lok Janashakti Party and Kamal Akhtar of the Samajwadi party, who were recently suspended from the Rajya Sabha after they opposed the women's reservation bill, were given heroes' welcome at the rally.
The rally was also addressed by Hyderabad member of Parliament and Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi, Lal Jan Basha of the Telugu Desam party, former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir of the Congress and representatives of various Muslim organisations.
A resolution urged the state government to take all the necessary steps to ensure that 4% reservations for backward Muslims continued undisturbed. The Andhra Pradesh High Court had struck it down recently as "unconstitutional". The resolution demanded that the state government should ensure that the Muslim students continue to get the benefit of reservations in the new academic year.
The resolution also demanded the UPA government to implement Ranganath Mishra Commission report which has recommended 10% reservations to Muslims throughout the country. It also wanted reservation for Muslim women with in the quota for women.
Hyderabad MP Owaisi said that the reservations were the constitutional rights of Muslims and they should get it. "This is the fight for the poor and socially and economically backward Muslims", he said.
Describing late YS Rajasekhara Reddy as the only secular Chief Minister Andhra Pradesh had so far, Owaisi said that there was now a question mark whether the state government was committed to the reservations for Muslims. Warning Congress party that 2014 elections were not far away, Owaisi said that if the government does not restore reservations to the Muslims in the state, Muslims will not vote for Congress. "If Muslims can reservations in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, why can't they get in Andhra Pradesh", he said.
Describing the presidential order of 1950, which restricted the reservations to only Dalit Hindus, as a blot on the face of constitution, Owaisi demanded that it should be amended to provide opportunities to Muslims to progress in education and employment.
Owaisi pointed out that out of every 100 graduates coming out in a year, only three were Muslims. Rate of literacy among Muslims was only 59% against the national average of 65%. While the ratio of poverty in urban areas was 27%, the same was 37% among urban Muslims.
Rajya Sabha member Aijaz Ali said that the reservations extended to Dalits under article 143 of the constitution was based on religion and it needs to be amended. "The condition of Muslims in the country was worse than Dalits", he said. He expressed surprise that the people of same profession among Muslims and Dalits get different treatment. While Dalits get the reservations, the same professionals among Muslims don't get it.
Other Rajya Sabha members Sabir Ali and Kamal Akhtar target the Congress party for neglecting Muslims for all these decades though it was in power. "Congress party under Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi had clear majority to carry through legislations and constitutional amendments to provide reservations to Muslims but they did not do it. If Sonia Gandhi shows, even 10% of the commitment to Muslims, which she showed for women's bill, Muslims problem can be solved", they said.
