Beyond courtrooms, lawyer Firdos Mirza is a social activist. Having spearheaded several causes, the legal luminary has now taken up the task of seeking justice for his own community. In the run-up to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Mirza has opened discussion on raising oft-neglected real issues plaguing the Muslims for the last 70 years. Professionals, thinkers, educationists, doctors and journalists from the community are shouldering the task with the 1994 recipient of National Youth Award. Under the first discussion held in city last month, city MP and Union minister

, Congress’s Wajahath Mirza and NCP MLC Khwaja Baig were invited. The group plans more such meets across

. Mirza and Co say parties eyeing Muslim votes must address the real issues.

Excerpts from an

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How was the idea conceptualized?

Prime time TV debates revolved around Muslims in the last four years. What he eats, whether he says Vande Mantram, triple talaq and halala were associated with Muslims. I started thinking if these were national issues, then ‘Muslim’ was also a national issue. Issues being debated were camouflaging the real ones and demonizing Muslims in the eyes of others.

Did you undertake any study?

Justice Sachar, justice Raganathan Misra and Mehmood-ur-Rehman committees have already done it. Collecting additional data, I concluded that Muslims are lagging behind even the scheduled caste in education. We are nowhere in public employment. Honourable member of constituent assembly SK Qazi — elected from CP & Berar — had said in his last lecture, “With this constitutional set up that we are adopting, in future, the representation of Muslims on elected posts and administration would decrease.” He prophesied this 70 years back.

What are the factors responsible for this imbalance?

The real issues of Muslims are: Lack of representation in Lok Sabha, state legislature, executive and judiciary. Same is with the organs of government who are engaged in planning. No one addresses these issues. As per 2011 census, Muslims are 14% of the population. If our country is ruled by constitutional values and spirit of equality, then this community should get at least 14% representation in all walks of life. I will give a concession — let it be 10%.

Are you seeking reservation?

Political parties claiming allegiance to the Constitution should at least ensure this representation. So far, the major alliances have not fielded a single Muslim candidate for the upcoming general elections. It is failure of the parities that they couldn’t groom good Muslim candidates. Parties should give enough tickets to Muslim candidates and ensure their victory in parliamentary and state elections. Then, we will not need reservation.

Can there be reservation on the basis of religion?

Some persons objected to Muslim quota saying it was not permissible in the Constitution and that we are a secular country. This is not the truth. In 1950, ‘The Constitutional (Scheduled Caste) Order’ was formulated to give reservation to the community. Its third paragraph says “the Scheduled Caste professing Hindu religion only will get reservation’. Then, it was amended and Sikh, Buddhist were added. This shows we are giving concession on religious grounds. This is injustice to Muslims. Delete the reference to religion in this order in order to make it all inclusive. Or, give reservation to Muslims on religious lines as it is given in the order.

What about local bodies?

Polls for local bodies like zilla parishad, corporations, councils, panchayat samitis are governed by local laws. There should be provisions in local laws for sufficient representation. Civic facilities in Muslim areas are abysmal. Compare Muslim majority areas with other parts of Nagpur, you will find civic amenities don’t reach there, water supply is erratic, no government hospital is available. Muslims are paying taxes but they lack representation in local bodies.

What is the solution?

Before Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar got elected, he had given a representation to the constituent assembly and the British government. In that, he had stated that for minorities there should be some constitutional authorities for redressal of their grievances. In state and Centre, we have a minority commission but they don’t have any constitutional status. They are toothless. Therefore, this institution should be given constitutional status like the SC/ST & OBC. Sachar committee had recommended appropriate representation to Muslims. Even in exam conducting authorities, Muslim members were recommended.

Other than electoral politics which is the other important field?

The banking sector. If loan disbursal is taken on the lines of religion, banks are not sanctioning loans to Muslims. Muslim areas are red-zones. If we look at NPAs, no Muslim is among big defaulters. Government should issue guidelines to RBI and banks for providing business loans to Muslims.

On what grounds are you saying so?

Take scholarships for SC/ST/OBC. The amount increases every year. For minority, it is the same for last eight years despite hike in fee. As per Constitution, budgetary allocation for various SC/ST/OBC uplift schemes is mandatory. The committees stated above addresses this issue for minority. On social and economic aspects, Muslims don’t fare better than SCs. For 14% Muslim population, there should be a budgetary allocation.

What about education?

Right to Education provides for yearly survey of children between 0 and 14 years. This year, only 41 children were found to be out-of school in Nagpur. This is fallacy. The above committees found 50% dropout rate among Muslim kids up to STD X. In higher education, less than 1% Muslims are enrolled. This country can’t sustain if 14% its population is left without education.

There is no dearth of Urdu-medium schools.

Urdu-medium schools are promoted by government in Muslim areas. Taking help of Article 30 of Constitution, private trusts are opening Urdu schools. Majority of our kids are attending these schools. It is good that they are learning the language and culture. The other side is that the same government doesn’t hold a single recruitment exam in Urdu. Marathi is compulsory. Is this a conspiracy? If you are promoting Urdu, then hold exams right from Class IV to Class I recruitments in the same language too.

Why do you think media is demonizing Muslim?

Government must issue guidelines for media, specially the news channels. Electronic media is demonizing and targeting Muslims. Norms must ban publishing names till the trial is over and no TV debates must be allowed on religion. News channels chose to use the word ‘terror’ when Muslims are suspects but when Muslims are victims, they never use the word.

Can you cite an example of terror against Muslims?

A trend is going on to harass Muslims. In 99% lynching cases, Muslims were victims. We don’t have any safeguards. There should be a law for protection of Muslims like the SC/ST Atrocities Act. The Communal Violence Bill was moved in 2005 but it never became a law.