Left flays BJP, RSS for Muslim politics

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New Delhi: The Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee report on the social, economic and educational status of Muslims in the country tabled in Parliament on Thursday has proved wrong the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s stance on "Muslim appeasement", the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said.

"The RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh)/BJP who thrive on sharpening communal polarisation tom-toming the myth of 'Muslim appeasement' created a hue and cry against collecting data on the status of the Muslims," the CPI-M said in an editorial in the latest party organ People's Democracy.

"The Sachar committee report nails the lie of such 'appeasement'. If anything, it exposes how expression of concern for the welfare of the Muslim minority by successive central Governments never translated in reality for betterment of the community," the editorial said.

The Sachar report has revealed the appalling state of Muslims in the country in the socio-economic and educational fields.

The party said both the BJP and the RSS have been using "the myth of Muslim appeasement" to oppose any affirmative action to improve the welfare of the community.

Pointing out that the findings of the committee were not a surprise, the party said: "It, however, offers on the basis of excellent data collection and research, an updated account of education and socio-economic status of the Muslim, who undoubtedly are the worst sufferers among the various minorities constituting India."

"If anything, their status as compared to the earlier findings has only declined and in many cases being worse-off than the Dalits and the tribals."

The party, which along with three other Left parties support Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government from outside, said the Government should take up the Muslim welfare as an obligation.

"The UPA Government, unlike its predecessors, cannot shirk from this responsibility. It would be an utter disgrace and gross irresponsibility, if the pressures from the RSS/BJP led communal forces are allowed to succeed in thwarting such an effort," the article said.

The CPI-M, which leads the government in West Bengal, admitted that the state of Muslims in the state - in terms of employment in government jobs - were poor.

"The CPI(M)-led Left Front Government in West Bengal has been conscious of this and has initiated over the years a number of programmes and initiatives," it claimed.