Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz better express that ‘Pasmanda’ means Socially discriminated & not ‘left behind’

By statetimes_editor Last updated Mar 28, 2025

Other Religion Priests’ must accept that Socially Discriminated Castes existed in ‘Them’ too
Government of India (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1936 had used term SC instead of Depressed Classes
Politicians first like British divided Hindu in Castes & now are dividing Indians in name of Religion
Let all Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist & Jain compete with each other as a unit

DAYA SAGAR

Ranganath Mishra Commission report (2007) too acknowledges that the criteria adopted for purposes of specifying the Scheduled Castes in C.O. 19 -The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950was based on the obnoxious practice of untouchability.

Earlier also in 1930s times justifying the identification/ classification like depressed classes in India it was in a way professed that the test applied was the social, educational and economic backwardness arising out of the historical custom of untouchability that ‘prevailed only’ in the Hindu society. Social and Political leaders of Hindu did accept the allegations/ blot of untouchability. Whereas the Social and Political leadership ( particularly) of Muslims & Christians did not accept professing that there was no any caste / sect / occupation based social discrimination within their religious communities. They claimed that they held a fully supported society.
It was assessed that the socially discriminated castes/groups were suffering / had suffered of the worst social and educational backwardness resulting in marked and continued economic& administrative backwardness too. So in the Indian Constitution / and while drafting The Constitution (Scheduled CASTES) Order,1 950 such “socially & educationally” discriminated castes’only’ from amongst Hindu were included.
The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 nearly adopted in full the list drawn in 1936 for Schedule Caste from amongst the Hindu only. No doubt since the Sikh also accepted that caste system / social discrimination still exists in them even after conversions and hence in The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order,1950 Sikh was included in ( : ” no person who professes a religion different’ from Hinduism shall be deemed be a member of a Scheduled Caste: Provided that every member of the Ramdasi, Kabirpanthi, Mazhabi or Sikligar caste resident in Punjab or the Patiala and East Punjab States Union shall, in relation to that State, be deemed to be a member of the Scheduled Castes whether he professes the Hindu or the Sikh religion.”); and later Buddhist also pleaded that caste system still exists in them their castes too were included in SC caste in 1990 ( The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) A??, 1990 No. 15 OF 1990 where in Section -2 it was said “In paragraph 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1990 for the words “or the Sikh”, the words, “the Sikh or the Buddhist” shall be substituted”.
Unfortunately other religious leaders from Christians , Muslims did not accept the reality of caste discriminations but have been demanding religion based reservations which is totally out of constitutional spirits since keeping reservation with in reservation for a religious community/minority separately and then listing the castes of that religion as claimants for that part is surely wrong. Had ‘they’ in 1950 accepted such discriminations like untouchability which was said to be prevailing in Hindu society and was constitutionally defined as social and educational backwardness also prevailed amongst them, I am sure the scope of schedule castes list would have been expanded long back ( as has been the case for Sikh in 1950 itself & Buddhist in 1990) and the politicians would have been checked from cultivating caste / religion based differences amongst Indians. I may be corrected in case my inferences are wrong.
So Ranganath Mishra report recommending additionally 10% quota for Muslims and 5% for other minorities too is not at all acceptable keeping inview the spirits underlying the constitution of India as drawn in 1950 and do not appear to be made in fair wisdom. There can be no separate reservations as Muslims or Christians or as Jain or as Sikh or as Buddhists since there are no reservations as HINDU. There are no separate reservations section wise in SC Hindu or Sikh or Buddhist all listed in SC compete with each other.
Ihave also come across a private member bill said to have been introduced in Lok Sabha as Bill No. 226 of 2022 as The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2022 By Shri Abdul Khaleque MP proposing that In the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, paragraph 3 shall be omitted. In the statement of Objects and Reasons it was said<” the founding fathers of our Constitution made several provisions in the Constitution which ensured rights and equality to the citizens of this diverse country. Unity in diversity is one of the brightest aspects of our country. Para 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order, 1950 states that no person who professes a religion different from Hinduism shall be deemed to be a member of the Scheduled Caste. Thereby, the Order ceased to recognise a person as the Scheduled Caste if he or she belonged to any religious minority groups. The order was amended later to grant Scheduled Caste status to those people of Scheduled Caste origin who embraced Buddhism and Sikhism. However, Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims have been kept out of the amended order thus denying them equality and fair justice. Meanwhile, several State Governments have recommended that Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians should be brought under the preview of the amended rule and provide a level playing ground to all. Further amendment of the original Order is necessary to establish an equilibrium amongst the religious minority communities and provide justice. Non-inclusion of Scheduled Caste Muslims and Christians is religious discrimination which is against the spirit of our Constitution”>. But ofcourse the bill was not taken further.
There for let all community / religious leadership, particularly other than Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist be clear and true to the cause of their innocent community members and pledge to be free from any of their self political ambitions well acknowledge the realities that the need for reservations/ special props for SC that were enshrined in Constitution of India was felt more for the reasons of alleged curse of caste based untouchability prevailing in Hindu society which was named in COI as social & educational backwardness which also existed.. So, if at all there are caste based socially discriminated people amongst the Muslims and Christians to they should ask for including such castes from them also in SC instead of raising demands for religion based reservations which would be supported by all. Even now , these castes could also be included in Schedule of Socially & Educationally discriminated ‘castes'( SC).So had it been so in that case reservation for SC can be kept more than 12.5 % in 1950 itself , say15% (say 17% now ) and the politicians thereafter would have been checked from exploiting the Hindu & Muslim in the name of religion. If it happens so , would also check the politicians from pushing the HINDU , Muslim, Christian , Parsi, Sikh of India into more and more conflicts every next day.
No doubt some politicians/ community leaders may be less interested for such like one time remedial correction/ actions since the controversies may be more suiting their political game plans. Let allMuslim , Christian , Hindu , Sikh, Buddh and Jain Schedule Castes compete with each other as a unit.
The Muslims, Christian, Parsi , Sikh are now being also exploited by some in the name of minorities after the Hindu having been exploited in the name of Castes. I hope I shall not be misunderstood by my fellow countrymen. We must, atleast now after 77 years of Indian Independence, check our own ‘people’ from dividing us further in the name of RELIGION for their political gains. Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz leadership should also very plainly express that to them Pasmanda not means’left behind’ but socially discriminated on caste basis and make public that they do not want reservation as a religious group but want on the basis of prevailing social discrimination over centuries from within the community so they as socially and educationally being backward worth inclusion in SC like those from Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist.
The debate on religion based reservations for minorities ( /Muslims / Christians/ Jains / Parsi ) need be ended. Rather it has to be forcedly ended by masses . But it cannot be done so unless pressure is mounted on the politicians to stop playing unfair divisive cards pitching an Indian against Indian simply for fleecing the vote.
(The writer is Sr. Journalist and Social Activist)