NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Theme : Salient features of Indian Society
Paper : GS - 1
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was reported to have asked the BJP national executive in Hyderabad to reach out to deprived and downtrodden groups such as Pasmanda Muslims in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Pasmanda is a Persian word that means the ‘ones left behind’. The word is used to describe the depressed classes among Muslims who have been deliberately or consciously excluded from the fruits of power and privilege.
TABLE OF CONTENT
- Context
- Who are Pasmanda Muslims
- Caste System
- Why Political Parties focussing on them
- A Social Movement in Making
- Demands of Pasmanda Muslims
- Rajinder Sachar Committee Report
Context : Prime Minister Narendra Modi was reported to have asked the BJP national executive in Hyderabad to reach out to deprived and downtrodden groups such as Pasmanda Muslims in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Who are Pasmanda Muslims :
- Pasmanda is a Persian word that means the ‘ones left behind’. The word is used to describe the depressed classes among Muslims who have been deliberately or consciously excluded from the fruits of power and privilege.
- Backward, Dalit, and tribal Muslims use the word Pasmanda as an umbrella identity to flag caste-based discrimination within the community.
- The term Pasmanda Muslim was first used in 1998 by Ali Anwar Ansari , who founded the Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz.
- Today 85% of the total population of Muslims in the country is known as Pasmanda.
- It is believed that the so-called untouchable Hindu converts are categorized as Pasmanda.
Caste System :
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Muslim society in India consists of several status groups or biradaris that are broadly sorted in three categories:
- The Ashrafs (the ‘noble’ elite or the ‘honorable ones’),
- The Ajlafs (backward Muslims), and
- The Arzals (Dalit Muslims).
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Ashrafs – They are Muslims who either claim to have a foreign pedigree, descendants of Muslims from Arabia, Persia, Turkey, Afghanistan (Syeds, Sheikhs, Mughals and Pathans), or who are upper-caste converts from Hinduism (Rajput, Gaur, Tyagi Muslims among others).
- Ajlafs – They are middle-caste converts, who were into ritually “clean” occupations.
- The moomins (weavers), darzi or idiris (tailors), rayeens or kunjaras (vegetable sellers) fall in the Ajlaf bracket.
- Arzals – They are from the lowest, “untouchable” castes like halalkhors, helas, lalbegis or bhangis (scavengers), dhobis (washer-men), nais or hajjams (barbers), chiks (butchers), and faqirs (beggars).
- They were first recorded in the 1901 census.
Why Political Parties focusing on them ?
- If reports are to be believed then the creamy section of the Muslim society looks down upon them.
- They are backward and oppressed economically, socially and educationally. This oppressed section among Muslims is called Pasmanda in India.
A Social Movement in Making :
- Actually the Pasmanda movement in India is 100 years old. A Muslim Pasmanda movement had emerged in the second decade of the last century.
- After this, in the 90s in India, two big organizations were formed in favor of the Pasmanda Muslims.
- This was the All India United Muslim Front, whose leader was Ejaz Ali.
- Apart from this, Ali Anwar of Patna founded an organisation named All India Pasmanda Muslim Merej.
- However, both are termed as non-Islamic by Muslim religious leaders.
- All the small organizations of Pasmanda Muslims are mostly found in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Demands of Pasmanda Muslims :
- Conducting a caste census.
- Restructuring of existing reservation categories, and
- State support for artisans, craftspersons, and agricultural laborers, who are among the most impoverished of Indian Muslims.
- Pasmanda outfits demanded that Dalit Muslims should be included in the SC list, and the OBC quota should be redesigned to create an Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs) category at the central and state levels for both most backward Hindus and Muslims.
Rajinder Sachar Committee Report :
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It was formed in 2005 to study social, economic and educational conditions of Indian Muslims.
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According to his report, one can discern three groups among Muslims:
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Those without any social disabilities, the Ashrafs;
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Those equivalent to Hindu OBCs, the Ajlafs, and
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Those equivalent to Hindu SCs, the Arzals.
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Those who are referred to as Muslim OBCs combine Ajlafs and Arzals.
FAQs :
1. What is the Rajinder Sachar Committee?
Answer : It was formed in 2005 to study social, economic and educational conditions of Indian Muslims.
2. Who are Pasmanda Muslims?
Answer : Pasmanda is a Persian word that means the ‘ones left behind’. The word is used to describe the depressed classes among Muslims who have been deliberately or consciously excluded from the fruits of power and privilege.