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 Indian
Muslims demand quota for Muslim Women in Legislatures
PRESS STATEMENT
Joint Committee of Muslim Organisations for Empowerment (JCMOE)
On Proposed Reservation for Women in
Legislatures
Syed Shahabuddin Reiterates Demand for Separate Quota for Muslim Women New Delhi,
8 June 2009: Syed Shahabuddin, the Convener of JCMOE, has issued the
following statement:
‘Ever since the 90’s. when the proposal of 1/3 reservation for women was
mooted the Muslim community has demanded a separate quota of 4% for Muslim
women primarily on two grounds. Firstly, the Muslim women are not
politically advanced to get elected to the legislatures, as 60 years
experience has shown. Secondly, the Muslims have been persistently
under-represented in the Parliament and the state legislatures. An
extension of the reserved space will reduce seats available for election
of Muslims, who already face many obstacles. In 2009, only 30 Muslims have
been elected to the L.S. which means a deprivation of above 60%. Their
deprivation is likely to rise to 75%.
Sachar Committee has found that Muslims constitute a backward class,
almost as backward as SC/ST and more backward than non-Muslim OBC’s.
In any case, the proposed reservation for women will include high castes,
which like OBC’s and Muslims do not enjoy reservation in legislatures. So
the Muslims have also been proposing that the reservation for women in the
legislature should subsume proportionate part of the existing SC/ ST
quotas as well as provide proportional sub-quotas for the women of the
deprived groups like the Muslims and the non-Muslim OBC’s, rather than
open the whole quota for high castes.
The Muslim community appreciates the stand in this matter taken by some
secular parties like SP, RJD and LJP as well as by the JD(U)’. Sd/-
Syed Shahabuddin
Convener
Joint Committee of Muslim Organisations for Empowerment (JCMOE)
D-250, Abul Fazal Enclave, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi - 110 025 Phone:
2694 6780 Fax: 2694 7346
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