Hyderabad: Ahead of the Telangana Assembly polls and general elections, the Telangana Muslim Organisations Joint Action Committee released a Muslim declaration listing 22 demands that a political party must promise to fulfill in order to secure the votes of Muslims.
The declaration was drafted during a meeting of Muslim intellectuals held on June 25, 2023, at the Madina Education Centre in Hyderabad. It was released in the presence of Prof. Haragopal and Managing Editor of Siasat Daily Zaheeruddin Ali Khan.
The meeting was held by JAC co-convener Shaik Yousuf Baba, Convener of Muslim JAC Saleem Pasha presided the meeting. Retired OU Professor Ansari, MJAC Co-ordinator Mohammad Yunus, All Mewa State President Sheikh Farooq Hussain, Dr. Riaz, Mahbub Nagar Khalid, Khammam Rahman, Shakeel, Subhan, Prof. Anwar Khan, Karimnagar Avez, Rauf Khan, OU students Yakub Pasha, Nawaz, Siddipet, Nalgonda and other district leaders also participated.
Justifying their demands, the declaration mentioned that although Telangana Muslims hold 13 percent of the vote share and are the determining factor in the outcome of elections in almost 40 constituencies in the state, they are neglected and used as vote banks in polls including Telangana Assembly elections.
It also cited the backwardness of Muslims highlighted by the Justice Sachar Committee, the Ranganath Mishra Commission, the Sudhir Commission, and Telangana’s first BC Commission.
List of demands
The following is the list of demands:
- Muslims should be allocated at least 10 MLA seats, one per undivided Telangana district, excluding the Old City of Hyderabad. The party must bear full responsibility for the candidates’ victory. In districts without Muslim MLA representation, Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha or MLCs must be guaranteed.
- 10-12 percent reservation for marginalized Muslims in public education and employment.
- Ten thousand crore rupees should be allocated for the welfare of minorities in each year’s state budget.
- The Waqf Board should be established as a Commissionerate and granted judicial power. Waqf inspectors should be appointed for each district of the state. Vacant staff positions in State and District Waqf Board offices should be filled.
- Permanent buildings should be constructed for minority gurukuls. Permanent teaching and non-teaching staff should be appointed. Gurukulas should be upgraded to degree-granting PG, Law, and MBA colleges. In case of non-availability of government land, minority gurukuls can be constructed on Waqf lands.
- Urdu should be given adequate importance and encouraged.
- Under the ‘Muslim Empowerment Scheme,’ every impoverished Muslim family should receive Rs. 10 lakh to empower Muslims.
- A special quota of 12 percent should be implemented for the allocation of double-bedroom houses to Muslims.
- Muslims must be adequately represented in nominated positions.
- Vacant posts in various departments of the minority department should be filled.
- In 33 districts, 66 post-matric hostels should be constructed.
- A loan of Rs. 2 lakh with full subsidy should be given to Muslims who earn their livelihood by engaging in unorganized occupations. Every year, Rs. 1000 crore should be spent on subsidized loans for poor Muslims.
- The Chief Minister should disburse funds from the special treasury for Iftar parties offered on behalf of the government every Ramadan.
- During Ramadan, a special fund called ‘Grant in Aid’ should be allocated for the renovation of mosques.
- The Mehtar community should be included in the SC category.
- The recommendations of the Justice Sachar Committee should be implemented.
- The state should declare that the NRC and CAA shall not be implemented.
- Imams and Muezzins should be paid a monthly honorarium on a regular basis. The pending applications of Imams and Muezzins should be processed.
- Allotment of land for Muslim burial grounds, maintenance of Muslim graveyards, and construction of defensive walls should be carried out.
- All applicants for subsidized loans currently pending with the Minority Finance Corporation should be granted loans.
- In every mandal, Muslim marriage halls and minority community halls should be constructed.
- An ex-gratia of Rs. 50 lakh should be given to the family of Qadir Khan, who died at the hands of Medak Police.
Telangana assembly polls
The Telangana Assembly polls are scheduled to take place at the end of the current year, with elections being held for the 119 constituency seats. In the previous assembly polls, the main parties involved were the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), the Indian National Congress (INC), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Following the polls, the TRS, which is now known as the BRS, formed the government after securing victory in 88 out of the 119 seats, marking a significant increase in its seat share by 25.
In contrast, the INC’s seat share decreased from 21 to 19, while the AIMIM managed to win seven seats.
The BJP, despite its efforts to form a government, could only secure a single seat, with Raja Singh emerging victorious in the Goshamahal Assembly constituency. The party’s seat share dropped from five to one.
