The Markazi Majlise Amla (MMA) of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) welcomes the Sachar Report for its comprehensive compilation of factual data on the backwardness of the Muslim community, their scientific analysis and its valuable recommendations and suggestions to raise the educational, economic and social level of the community. The report has also drawn the national attention to prejudice as well as insecurity which it faces.

However, the MMA feels disappointed that the Sachar Committee has sidestepped the logical imperative of reservation in higher education, public and private employment, flow of bank credit and benefits of development and welfare schemes services at the operational level, which alone can guarantee equality of opportunity for a Backward Class which is subjected to social bias and give a jump start to its development. Also the Committee has ignored the question of under-representation in the power structure: the legislature, the executive, the judiciary as well as the security forces.

The MMA demands that in order to build a national consensus on what needs to be done in the larger national interest to raise one sixth of the population from the bottom of the socio-economic ladder, the Report should be discussed by the Parliament during the current session and the government should come forward with a plan for effective implementation and regular monitoring.

The MMA appeals to all political parties to rise above all electoral and political considerations to ensure that the Muslim community not only shares the fruits of development but also contribute to national progress.

The MMA of the AIMMM feels surprised by the active promotion by the Ministry of Human Resources Development of its proposal for establishing a Central Madrasa Board (CMB) without prior consultations with madrasas and Muslim organization of national eminence and the high pressure marketing of the idea through the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions. This has given rise to doubts about the objective and purpose behind the idea.

The MMA considers that the proposal goes against the tradition of genuine madrasas maintaining distance from the government and at the same time against the current trend of privatization as well as it does not touch the basic problem of educational backwardness of the community and ignores the inevitable impact of government intervention in the madrasa system.

The MMA, however, feels that the government may upgrade its current scheme of financial assistance to Madrasas and establish an autonomous Madrasa Development Trust with the participation of eminent public figures and madrasas of various

denominations in the country, which shall offer, on demand, facilities as well as concessions to the desirous madrasas, in particular, the academic equivalence of their

Sanads for purpose of entry of their products into mainstream education at various levels and their acceptance in the case of renowned madrasas, Darul ulooms and Jamias for public and private employment as well as for access to foreign contribution and exemption from income tax.

The MMA calls upon the government to keep the proposed scheme in abeyance until there is a consensus in the country and work out in the meantime the outline of a Madrasa Development Trust in consultation with the representatives of the Community, including the leading Darul Ulooms.

The MMA of AIMMM has noted the growing turbulence in the Jamia Millia Islamia because of shrinking facilities for admission of Muslim students. The MMA supports the demand of the Jamia community for its recognition as a minority educational institution and appeals to the authorities to seriously pursue the restoration of the JMI as a minority institution, through appropriate amendment of the JMI Act, 1988.

The MMA of the AIMMM recalls with anguish the Demolition of Babri Masjid on 6 December 1992 and expresses its regret that even 14 years later the culprits have not been punished, the inquiry report has not been finalised and the title suit is yet to reach the argument stage.

The MMA has painfully noted the desperate public defiance of the rule of law, without let or hindrance, by the Sangh Parivar to achieve its objective, whatever the law may say.

The MMA feels aggrieved that the central and the state authorities have not responded positively to the Muslim request for permission to repair ancient Dargahs and Masjids within the Acquired Areas as well as in the rest of Ayodhya. It requests the Central government to take an early decision in the matter.

The MMA also reiterates the repeated Muslim’s request for a fresh notification by the state government in order to rejoin the criminal cases which stand irrationally split, into two separate trials.

The MMA also takes this opportunity to urge the central government to drop the misconceived project of building a steel wall around the makeshift temple which will give it permanency of sorts and may obstruct the implementation of the roadmap drawn by the Supreme Court in October1994.

The MMA of AIMMM calls for immediate amendment to the President’s (SC) Order, 1950, to delete the religious requirement for inclusion in the SC list and thus to open the doors for all social groups, which have occupational parity with the Hindu SC’s, to be included in the SC List, irrespective of religion.

The MMA of the AIMMM has taken note of the pronouncement by the Supreme

Court striking down the Foreigner (Amendment) Act and the Foreigner (Tribunals for Assam) Order of 2006. The MMA considers that the Central government must find a via media to protect from repeated harassment the genuine citizens in Assam who are of Bengali descent and speak Bengali and, many of whom have already established their citizenship.

The MMA considers that placing the onus on them for proving their citizenship status against politically motivated allegations by hostile elements is unjust and inequitable and will cause unbearable hardship to many Bengali speaking citizens, particularly Muslims.

The MMA therefore, suggests that the Tribunals should not reopen old cases and admit new cases only after the allegation has been screened by the local authorities in the light of past proceedings, and not directly from political activists.

The MMA of the AIMMM has taken note of the latest proposal of President Musharraf for the solution of the Kashmir problem, which has been welcomed by several mainstream political parties in the State. The MMA views this as a positive development as the proposal meets some basic criteria for a win-win solution indicated earlier by the Prime Minister.

The MMA, therefore, calls upon the Central government not to reject the proposal summarily and to give it due consideration when it is formally tabled.

The MMA reiterates that any desirable solution should pave the way toward regional integration on the model of the European Union.

The MMA of the AIMMM deems it unfortunate and distressing that Iraq is now deep in a state of civil war and considers the occupying power as well as the caretaker government as responsible as the private militias.

The MMA demands the immediate withdrawal of occupation forces from the Iraqi soil and formation of a national government and calls upon the people of Iraq to put an end to sectarian fratricide which has been fanned by vested interests to take it towards eventual trifurcation.

The MMA of the AIMMM looks upon Israel’s latest offer of cease-fire and peace talk, without even a token withdrawal from the Occupied Palestinian Territory and without a word of assurance about respecting the 1967 Ceasefire Line and the sanctity of Jerusalem, as a public relation exercise and a ruse to placate the world public

opinion angered by its military adventurism in Gaza and elsewhere.

The MMA feels that the time has come for the international community to intervene effectively and the UN Security Council to place an international security force on the 1967 Line and sponsor meaningful peace talks between Israel and Palestinian Authority for a just and durable settlement.