Meena Menon
Promises, promises. The Muslim community is used to it by now. This time too political parties are using the lure of reservations and implementation of the Sachar Committee report. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has promised reservations for the poor and backward in various communities, including Muslims. In this election though, the past could catch up with the Congress-NCP combine.
The large-scale irregularities in Wakf land into which an inquiry is dragging on since last year, communal riots, and poor implementation of the Srikrishna Commission’s report of the 1992-93 Mumbai riots are all festering issues.
Counter-terrorism measures and the custodial death of a young engineer, Khwaja Yunus, arrested for the Ghatkopar bomb blasts in 2002, are fresh in people’s memory. Maharashtra has a population of 10.6 per cent Muslims; Mumbai city has 36.6 per cent Muslims. Suburban Mumbai has about 12.4 per cent, according to Census figures. Over the years, Muslim dissatisfaction has grown, though they have always supported the Congress.
Special courts
The ruling Congress coalition in Maharashtra set up special courts to deal with riot cases, pending since 15 years, but there were few convictions. A special minorities development department was belatedly set up last year with a budget of Rs. 171 crore to focus on education and scholarships.
Lack of representation by major national parties has also raised the hackles of Muslims. While the Congress has given a ticket to Union Minister A.R. Antulay in Raigad, the NCP has chosen Azam Pansare in Maval — two of the 48 seats in the State.
Discontent
Sensing the discontent, the government has promised reservations for poor Muslims. NCP Minister Nawab Malik says most of the 16 lakh Muslim voters in Mumbai will stay with the Congress and its allies. However, he admits that there will be some disturbances to this assured vote in the seats of Mumbai North West, North Central, South Central and South.
However, the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Lok Jan Shakti Party which have allied in Maharashtra do not think so. In Mumbai, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded three Muslim candidates and the Samajwadi Party alliance an equal number. They could well give the major parties a run for their money.
For instance, Abu Asim Azmi, the Samajwadi Party candidate, is attracting a lot of support in Mumbai North West, which has over 15 per cent Muslim voters. His Congress rival here is Gurudas Kamat.
In Mumbai South too, the BSP’s Mohammed Ali Abubaker Sheikh could cut into the vote share of Congress candidate Milind Deora, who also has to contend with Sayyed Athar Ali from the SP.
In North Central, which has a large Muslim community, the strong base of Congress’ Priya Dutt is being challenged by Ebrahim Sheikh, a former NCP member who switched to the BSP just before the elections.
The NCP and the Congress have been harping on the Malegaon blasts arrests and the Hindu terror network.
Larger issues
However, the larger issues of poverty, lack of opportunities, discrimination and social justice remain. This time round, the choices for Muslims are more and the Congress vote bank looks shaky.
Muslims have once again been called on to establish their nationalist credentials, and this time many groups across the country took a clear cut stand against terrorism.
This election could be the test to see if the community is tired of being used as a Congress vote-bank and if it exercises other options.
The Hindu