The National Workshop on Muslim Reservation exhaustively examined all the aspects pertaining to the issue of educational and employment quota reservation to Muslims. About 150 delegates from all parts of India, deliberated the issue in different sessions and unanimously approved the following resolutions. 1) All the available data including the findings of committees and study groups appointed by the Central and State Governments prove that Muslims all over India have not attained adequate representation either in the field of education or in government services. In spite of the fact that our constitution provides provision for affirmative actions in favour of backward classes, even after five decades of independence the Muslim community as a whole remains backward. This National Workshop demands the Central as well as all State governments to declare Muslim community as "Backward" for the purpose of Reservation in education and employment. 2) This National Workshop appreciates the efforts on the part of the United Progressive Alliance Government such as Prime Minister's High Level Committee, National Monitoring Committee on Minority Education etc. The recommendations of the earlier government level committees including Dr. Gopal Singh High Power Panel have been neglected and not implemented. Hence the government of India should not let the findings and recommendations of official committees including the current Prime Minister's High Level Committee be kept in abeyance. 3) This National Workshop demands that the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities and National Commission for Minority Education be given full fledged statutory status. 4) This National Worakshop demands that a separate legislation be passed for protecting the minority rights enshrined under Article30 (1) of the Constitution of India. 5) This National Workshop congratulates the Government of Andhra Pradesh headed by Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy for initiating 5% reservation to Muslims in education and employment for the first time in the history of the State. We urge the Central Government and all the State Governments to follow the foot steps of the Government of Andhra Pradesh and take necessary steps to provide reservation to the Muslim community in education and employment. 6) The recent judicial interventions in cases relating to quota reservation including reservation law in the State of Andhra Pradesh is a matter of grave concern to those who cherish the ideals of equity and justice. The tendency on the part of various courts to nullify the affirmative actions of the government on technical grounds is currently on the increase. In this context it is noteworthy that the reservation laws of Tamil Nadu is being protected from judicial intervention by inclusion in the 9th schedule of the Indian Constitution. This National Workshop urges the Central and all State Governments to take steps for the inclusion of the laws relating to reservation in the 9th schedule of the constitution. 7) As a result of the implementation of the recommendations by the Mandal Commission, Backward Classes in India are declared eligible for 27% reservation in Central Governments. Accordingly certain Muslim social groups in different states are being included in the list of social and educationally backward classes and made eligible for reservation in public appointments. But as per Central Government orders and some State Government rules such as in Tamil Nadu, Muslims are not provided separate reservation within the OBC quota. Because of this, the benefit of reservation more often goes to certain more advanced classes among the OBC and the Muslims happen to be neglected. Hence as a pre requisite to ensure the benefits of reservation reaching the Muslims who are most backward among the backwards, we request to stipulate separate and specific quota percentage for Muslims within the 27% Central Government reservations and 30% Tamil Nadu State Service Reservations. 8) In the States where certain Muslim social groups find a place in the list of OBCs, they apprehend that once all the Muslims are made eligible for reservation the prospects of these Muslim OBC groups will be affected. Also in some States certain Muslim occupational groups are denied the reservation benefits applicable to Schedule Castes though the Hindu castes engaged in the same occupation are entitled to schedule caste benefits. In this context this National Workshop on Muslim Reservation specifies that when Muslims are provided blanket reservation, the prospects of those Muslim social groups who are already in the list of OBCs should not be affected. This Workshop also support the demand to include the Muslim occupational groups engaged in occupations equivalent to other Hindu Scheduled Castes, also in the list of schedule castes under the purview of article 341 in those states where the said situation prevails. 9) The situation of Muslims and other backward classes in judiciary are very pathetic even in the states where quota reservation in government service is applicable for Muslims and Backward communities. Hence the central Government shall appoint a commission to identify the inadequate representation of Muslims and other Backward Classes in judiciary and to make recommendations for proper, just and adequate representation of Muslims and Backward Classes in judicial services. 10) Reservation is a right. The history of the struggle for social justice in India is parallel, part and parcel of our struggle for political independence. The provision for affirmative actions and positive discriminations in favour of depressed classes is included in our constitution under fundamental rights because it is a matter of social justice and civil right. Any move to give communal colour to the issue of reservation is against the spirit of our constitution. As long as the socially and educationally backward classes are entitled to reservations, there is no logic in denying the same right to the Muslim community who are one of the most backward classes all over the country. This National Workshop requests all sensible and secular sections of the society to support the just cause of Muslims for reservation and to defeat the evil designs of fascist forces that communalise this issue of democratic right. This National Workshop urges all the national, secular and regional political parties to take proactive steps to ensure adequate representation to Muslims through quota reservation. 11) This National Workshop resolves to constitute a co ordination committee, To collect data from the delegates of this workshop. To contact individuals and institutions who have done survey and analysis on the subject matter. To collect reports of various committees and commissions constituted by the Central and State Governments. To collect data pertaining to Census 2001 and National Sample Survey Organization. To identify and contact experts on the subject matter to call for an All India Meet within three months at New Delhi for preparing memoranda to National Monitoring Committee on Minority Educational Institutions, Prime Ministers High Level Committee to collect data on Muslims, National Commission for Minority Education, National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities and the UPA representatives. To prepare specific representations to the above committees and commissions. To meet UPA Constituents. To take steps in order to constitute commissions to study Muslim backwardness in individual states ruled by Congress/UPA taking into account all observations in Andhra Pradesh High Court judgement, so that reservation can be given to all Muslims in respective states. To pressurise all non Congress State Governments to do comprehensive survey on Muslim Situation in their respective state in the Karnataka Model.
