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Census and communalism
By Parwaz Rahmani
When a Muslim social worker of Mumbai
said that this census is in fact a conspiracy against Muslims and
minorities, some newspaper reporters got very angry and they ridiculed
him. The fact of the matter was that the incharge of Mumbai branch of
Muslim League, Muhammad Farooq Azam had stated on the basis of his
personal experience and observation that the census officials are using
unfair means and cheating in Muslim populated areas of the city. Correct
information about Muslims is not being recorded and many Muslim households
are being completely ignored. Government workers are filling up the forms
in pencils and later on make changes as they like. He also said in his
statement that non-Muslim workers should be replaced by Muslim workers for
census work in Muslim populated areas and that the workers of his party
should check up the filled up forms daily. A reporter of the Asian Age (13
February) has ridiculed and made fun of him for this statement. He has
called Muslim League as self-styled protector of Muslim interests and that
it wants to police the census work.
The Asian Age has, of course, made fun of Mumbai Muslim League leader’s
statement but what are his views about the statement published next day
(14 February) in the same paper. This statement was made by Dr Joseph de
Souza, President, All India Christian Council. He said that effort has
been made to communalize the whole process of Census 2001 which is evident
form parts of the questionnaire given in the Form. Through the column of
‘religion’, people belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes
have been compelled to describe their religion only as Hinduism, or
Buddhism or Sikhism and no fourth religion other than these can be
written. That means that there is no place for Islam, Christianity or any
other religions or faiths or agnostics. If any SC or ST member describes
his religion other than these three, his name will be struck off from that
category. In other words he will be deprived of the benefits and
concessions or privileges enjoyed by people belonging to these castes and
tribes. According to Dr De Souza, there are special motives behind these
questions. He also said that his council has issued a legal notice in the
name of Registrar General of Census in this connection and demanded
rectification of this provision.
It is quite possible that the statement of Mumbai’s Muslim worker might
be somewhat emotional or that his statement might not have been made in a
mild or dignified manner but the statement of the leader of Christian
Council can never be called emotional or sentimental. The fact is that in
this census unfair practices are being followed on a large scale in
different ways and the dubious intentions of the government are found in
the very initial stages i.e., publication of forms for this purpose. Now a
third group has come forward to further the cause of unethical practices.
In the first category are people who have decided to use the census
process for some ulterior political motive. In the second category are
people whose services are being utilized for this purpose. They are
obviously working on the guidelines and instructions provided by the
people in the first category. And now media has also come in the field to
further their cause who, instead of reporting cases of complaints and
unfair means according to journalistic codes, is behaving in such a manner
that the complainant or the aggrieved person himself is being projected as
guilty or communalist. The sections of people, who were likely to be
affected, seeing the mentality and ulterior motives of the authorities
should have become vigilant before the process of census began. But even
now it is not too late and they should now remain alert and methodical.
They should also have better rapport and mutual cooperation between
different groups and organizations and they should also be more balanced
and restrained in their utterances.
(Translated from Urdu) q |
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