By: N.Sampath
nsampath@vsnl.com
October 09, 2003

Related Articles:
Exposing Purdah: The Truth Behind the Veil B Shantanu
Hindus under Muslim Rule in West Bengal Dr.Dipak Basu
Jinnah - A genuine Muslim communalist V Sundaram
Gandhi, Moulana of Muslim appeasement V Sundaram
Why do Muslims protest violently? Prabhat Varun
Sati-Pratha and its origins Prabhat Varun
Fragile Islam, Touchy Muslims Prabhat Varun
Forefathers of Indian Muslims Were Hindus Narain Kataria
We are still under siege in our own country Narain Kataria
Disenchantment of Indian Muslims N.Sampath
The solution has to come from within Muslim society Lachman Sippy
Open Letter Indian Muslim Council R.Anand
The Mirage of Hindu-Muslim Unity Dr. M.K.Ganju

It is often proclaimed by the mainstream media and 'secularists', that most Muslims are a disgruntled lot and this is the root cause for their adopting violent methods to have their voices heard. After every blast or riot, this refrain is also constantly echoed by Muslim youth when enthusiastic reporters thrust microphones in their faces. The cause for their disgruntlement is the failure of the Government (and by association the majority community) to provide them the opportunities to help them break away from their poverty and backwardness. As proof of this failure the usual argument advanced is the low number of Muslims, considering that they constitute about 15% of the population, who have made it to the top echelons in both public and private sectors.

This perception needs to be examined and corrected since this has a direct bearing on the supposed ill-treatment of minorities in India. A recent article in the Indian Express (Sept 14, 2003) provides some numbers, based on surveys and articles to show that Muslims are indeed doing badly in India as compared to Hindus. It may be true that many Muslims are still shopkeepers, petty traders, tailors and cooks and their representation in the Government and the Armed forces is poor. But this does not automatically mean that they are unsuccessful and discriminated against. The very fact that they have been able to practice their traditional occupations for so long, only means that they have enjoyed the freedom to do so. Most of the occupations taken up by Muslims seem to be historically related to their ancestry considering that most Indian Muslims are converts from various occupational classes. And their poor representation in Government and the Armed forces possibly reflects that only the poorer Muslims were left behind after partition. And this could also be the reason for their relative backwardness. It beats one's understanding why it should be a problem if one pursues any of the traditional occupations or be self-employed as long as it provides a decent living?

It is well known that the majority of the Muslims in India belong to the OBCs, but they are definitely not a monolithic community. They exhibit the same diversity across India as the rest of the population. Many of them are fairly well off and they own considerable businesses and properties. One of the richest Indians is Wipro's Premji, a Muslim. Muslims, for example, own several large leather export businesses in Tamil Nadu, and since these are usually partnerships the size of these businesses is not publicly known. They have cashed in on the large properties that they own in many of the cities, riding the real estate boom. Petrodollars have helped many Muslims to buy large properties in several towns. All this has been possible only because they have enjoyed the freedom to do so.

Hence the constant gripe of being discriminated against has no real basis. It is true that many of them are backward and are poor. But so are millions of other Indians. It has to be accepted that no government on this earth can guarantee the prosperity of every citizen, eventhough it may strive to do so. No government on this earth can ensure a job for everyone. It can only create an environment in which every citizen gets an equal opportunity. If Muslims sincerely believed that such opportunities are not available in India they would have tried to migrate long ago, even though they are not considered equals by their co-religionists in the Middle East. Hence sitting back nursing a grudge and expecting the government to solve their problems will not help them in anyway. A Muslim political party to speak on their behalf will also not help. They need to recognize that their future lies in India and they need to work towards it.

It is time the community leaders and parents accepted that if their children have to prosper then they have to be given the proper skills to do so. Statistics that Muslims are underrepresented in the corporate or the government sector do not mean anything. The question the community has to ask itself is how many Muslims are able to apply for a position and compete for it? They need to recognize that there is more to the world than reading the Koran and learning Arabic. A few thousand jobs in the name of affirmative action will not help the community, since these will anyway be cornered by the well to do sections, as it usually happens.

The attitude of the other 'major' minority community in India - the so-called 'forward community' is an example for the Muslims to ponder over. In the name of reservation and affirmative action this community has been positively discriminated against for a whole lot of historical sins of omission and commission, now for several years. For most of them it is a struggle for survival. Have they taken to planting bombs all over the place? No they are hanging in there and fighting not with arms but by developing skills. They are investing in learning and knowledge. Parents have a burning desire to secure their children's future. Most of them are small families, who make enormous sacrifices, with the husband and wife working to get their children a good education. And what do these children do? They strive hard and put in an enormous effort to do well, for even a loss of half a percentage may result in the loss of a seat in a professional college. A painful example is the 'tapas' many of the youngsters undertake while preparing for IIT entrance exams. Many of them slog it out night and day for over two years concurrently struggling with their board exams. And if they fail to get into a professional course, they pursue alternatives. And the girls are not being left behind. They are taking to professional courses in a big way. Many of them lose out in this struggle. Do they develop a complex and want to destroy the nation? Unfortunately in this discrimination, a lot of national talent goes unutilized. If one looks around one sees many examples of this positive attitude, from a carpenter's son, who wants to go to a technical training institute, to a servant's grandson who wants to study engineering. They are not looking for government doles or wanting politicians to help them. They know that they have to script their future. And this is the attitude one has to develop in this competitive world.

Living in a democratic country and sharing a common cultural heritage with the others, Indian Muslims have a great opportunity to enhance their lives - better than their bretheren in other Islamic states who continue to remain backward under despotic rulers. India is steadily moving towards becoming an economic powerhouse and the opportunities for employment and advancement will be plenty. It is for the Muslims to come out of their self-made shell of isolation and participate in this economic growth, before another study reveals that the Muslim representation in the IT/ITES or the biotech sector is negligible and we get 'secularists' asking for empowerment or affirmative action or sops. Blaming the majority community or the government will not help. Following clerics who promote 'jihad' as the only worthwhile occupation will only drag the community down.

N.Sampath