In recent years, Muslims as a community are targeted in many parts of the world. Due to the actions of a few groups spreading terrorism in the name of Allah, the whole community is being branded as one soft on terrorists and terrorism.
Muslims in India are no longer immune to this problem. In fact, the recent bomb attacks in Jaipur, New Delhi etc have brought them to a cross-roads. Whenever they try to amalgmate into the mainstream, something or another happens and they are again back to square one.
If one looks at the statistics, it is the Muslim community who is discriminated on all levels, be it education, jobs, buisness or even something as mundane as finding a house or rent. These issues are even highlighted in the Sachar Committee Report.
Most of the Muslim dominated districts are the most backward in India, both economically and socially. According to the committee, the literacy rate among Muslims in 2001 was 59.1%. This is far below the national average of 65.1%. The percentage of Muslims who graduate from poor households and those who go on to further study is lower than SCs/STs: 16% and 28% respectively.
The Times of India’s recent article on Indian Muslims have mentioned that the only places where Muslims are overpopulated are Indian prisons. In Maharashtra, the percentage of Muslim prisoners in all categories (17.5%) was way above their share of population (10.6%). In Gujarat, the ratio of Muslim population to jail inmates was 9 to 25.(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Is_there_a_Muslim_mindset/articleshow/3507711.cms
Today, the majority of Indian Muslims, especially those belonging to the lower and middle classes, are scared and have a strong sense of depreviation and discrimination. It is the duty of the government to instil confidence and stop undue prejudices seeping in the society.
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