IDENTITY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION-INCLUSION – A MUSLIM PERSPECTIVE
Asghar Ali Engineer
(Part (1)
(Secular Perspective October 1-30, 2007)
In multi-religious, multi-cultural democracies problem of identity and social exclusion-inclusion become extremely important. Under authoritarian societies due to suppression problem of exclusion remains hidden and does not surface until it is gravely aggravated. But a democratic society, being open and based on rights, question of identity and social exclusion and inclusion becomes very important and even determines its very dynamics. A vibrant democratic society always remains sensitive to the question of exclusion of any section of society.
For social exclusion several factors play their role. A caste hierarchy can account for neglect of those at the bottom; a class society may ignore those who belong to lower classes. A multi-religious society may work against those belonging to religious minorities and multi-ethnic or multi-cultural societies may marginalize ethnicities which do not constitute core culture or ethnicity.
In economically backward and under-developed countries the problem of exclusion becomes much more acute in view of scarce resources. Even in advanced economies like those of Western countries exclusion both on the basis of race and class is a well-known phenomenon. The African Americans in America are victims of racial prejudice even today and incidence of poverty among them continues to be very high. America is not only a highly developed country but also economically most advanced. It has highly developed democratic institutions. And yet it cannot claim total inclusion of all sections of society. White majority monopolizes major chunk of all resources.
The western countries were mono-religious and mono-cultural for centuries. The very concept of pluralism and multi-culturalism was unknown among them. The term multi-culturalism was coined by western social scientist only in post-colonial era when large number of workers from ex-colonies began to migrate to metropolitan countries. The western countries like U.K., France, Germany, Sweden, Holland etc. became multi-cultural as migrants were from African and Asian countries.
Another term coined was pluralism, which signified multi-religious and multi-cultural nature of these post-colonial western countries. Post-Second World War there was great demand for workers in these European countries to meet requirement for human resources as due to war large number of Europeans were killed resulting in shortage of human power and reconstruction of economies needed more and more human power. However, later on children of these migrant workers were borne and educated in these metropolitan countries and became their natural citizens with awareness of their rights and privileges.
They began to demand equal rights and equal job opportunities, though not equal share in power as they were mostly tiny minorities. This resulted in racial tension, particularly in U.K., France and Germany. These countries continue to experience these racial and cultural conflicts and the question of exclusion and inclusion has become very important. In France there was revolt by some youth last year and the violence, including burning cars and stoning police went on for several weeks and police found it very challenging to control it.
The sociologists pointed out that the reason for this violence by the youth was their marginalization, high rates of unemployment among them or generally getting low paid jobs which other French people refuse to take up. These young African Muslims were mostly borne in France though their parents had migrated from Algeria, Morocco etc. The Government had to announce series of measures to contain this conflict. Though these measures were far from satisfactory yet these measures gave them some sense of inclusion and the violence abated.
The bombings on 7/7 on London underground was also explained by many scholars in the light of marginalization of these young Pakistanis in U.K., though that was not the only reason. Brainwashing such marginalized youth becomes much easier. They are made to see the White majority as the 'enemy' and unacceptable other. They also become enemy in faith and killing them is justified. Thus there are very complex factors involved in terrorism and terrorist acts.
Whenever such acts of terrorism take place the western leaders (Bush and Blair included) give statements 'our vales, our freedom, our democracy' is at stake and President Bush said, after 9/11 why they (the terrorists) 'hate us, hate our freedom and democracy'. After 7/7 Blair also spoke similar language. The obvious assumption is we westerners have universal values like freedom and democracies and these Afro-Asians hold authoritarianism dear to themselves and reject concepts of freedom and democracy.
Thus though western social scientists did coin terms like multi-culturalism and religious pluralism, the westerners as a whole, have hardly imbibed these concepts or even while accepting them mentally, these concepts have not touched their hearts and souls. Thus in western societies the problem of exclusion of primordial-identity based minorities is very deep rooted and will not go away easily.
Many Indians have richly contributed to economies and services in U.K., USA and Canada, yet they are victims of social prejudices. They are still far away from being fully integrated in social, cultural and economic sense. They are full citizens of these western countries yet they experience social and cultural exclusion. Racial prejudices still continue to be powerful barriers to full integration in western societies.
Thus it will be seen that social exclusion is playing important role universally. In most of the countries religious and cultural minorities are experiencing social exclusion. One can say social exclusion is to some extent natural (though it should not be) as cultural and religious minorities are migrants from outside and these migrations are just half a century old. These migrations had begun just after 2nd World War. It will take long time for these minorities to become completely naturalized.
In case of India and other Asian countries it is not so. The Asian countries in general and India in particular has always been multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic. India has been bewilderingly diverse in this sense for thousands of years. Be they Buddhists, Jains, Christians or Muslims, they have existed in this country and have not, unlike western countries, migrated from outside.
Some Muslims who came as invaders from outside centuries ago, or accompanies these invaders from Central or Western Asia have long become integral part of this country and totally forgotten their foreign identity. No Muslim in India has any awareness of his foreign origin nor he tries to trace his ancestry to outsiders, be they Syeds, Sheikhs or Pathans. And those who came from outside centuries ago are a small minority and an overwhelming majority is of Muslims who converted from Indian stock and belong to lower castes.
The Christians too are not of foreign origin and they are also mostly converts either from low caste Hindus or tribals. The Christians of foreign origin never settled down in India. They kept their distance from Christians of local origin. The Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs are, of course, all Indian origin. Yet the question of exclusion remains important for all minorities but much more so for Christians and Muslims. Christians are a small minority whereas Muslims are a very large minority and hence their exclusion from social, cultural, economic and political processes poses much greater problems.
Democratic processes create greater awareness among people and greater the awareness, greater will become nature of the problem. Also after independence modern secular education has spread much faster than before and though percentage of education among Muslims is lower than average, yet it has increased considerably. Education certainly increases awareness and increased awareness about social, economic or political exclusion creates greater challenges for political management.
Part (II)
SOCIO-POLITICAL EXCLUSION MAIN CAUSE OF PARTITION.
Our country saw the tragedy of partition at the time of independence. This partition was also direct result of sense of socio-political exclusion and fear of further exclusion in united independent India on the part of Muslim educated elite. The British colonial rule provided opportunities for more education, particularly to the scions of jagirdars ;(feudal lords) and it was this educated Muslim elite which headed partition movement.
It is interesting to note that Muslim Ulama who had their roots among poor and illiterate masses never provided any leadership to the partition movement. On the contrary, they vehemently opposed it. The Jami'at-ul-Ulama-i-Hind (JUH) remained staunch ally of the Indian National Congress and even accepted leadership of Mahatma
Gandhi and opposed the two-nation theory of Jinnah. Maulana Husain Ahmed Madani, then chief of JUH wrote a book Muttahida Qaumiyyat aur Islam (Composite Nationalism and Islam) and exposed the fallacies of two nation theory.
Thus partition was direct result of sense of exclusion from economic and political share in power among the educated elite and Jinnah, a western educated Muslim and a trained lawyer from England, rather than any religious leader provided both theoretical and political leadership to the Pakistan movement. The Ulama, on the other hand, led by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani, opposed partition vehemently putting full faith in the programme of Indian National Congress and its secular philosophy.
No doubt, the Constitution of India promulgated on 26th January 1950 fulfilled the promise the Congress leaders made to minorities. The constitutional philosophy is all inclusive. Even Scheduled Castes and Tribes were given reservations. But the Constitutional spirit was never translated into practice. In practice there was not only non-fulfillment of constitutional promise but downright neglect of minorities, especially the Muslims.
The Christians and Muslims, and particularly the Muslims suffer from double disadvantage: they are converts from low caste Hindus and traditionally low caste Hindus suffered from total exclusion and Christians and Muslims also became victims of religious prejudices, thanks to communal propaganda. Thus Christians and Muslims have been doubly excluded from socio-economic and political processes.
For forty years the Congress wielded power at the Centre and also in many states but despite its pro-minority sympathy and commitment to secularism, Muslims were subjected to deliberate neglect. Undoubtedly the Congress propounded secular ideology but it could not even provide even security of life and property to Muslims, let alone ensure their due participation in economic development and educational achievements.
A series of communal riots started from Jabalpur in 1961 onwards and decade of eighties was full of communal violence from Moradabad in 1980 to Mumbai riots of 1992-93. In between many major riots took place in Biharsharif, Meerut, Baroda, Neli (Assam), Bhivandi-Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Meerut (in 1987 again), Bhagalpore and 300 riots when Mr. L.K.Advani took out Rathyatra (which Times of India described as bloodyatra). Thus whole decade of 1980s was a bloody decade and Muslims began to feel terribly insecure.
In post-partition riots more than 35,000 lives were lost and properties worth hundreds of crores destroyed. The Congress swore by secularism but could not effectively provide protection to Muslims from communal violence. Let alone inclusion of Muslims in economic development, the government could not even provide security of life to them.
Also, communal forces of Sangh Parivar continued to question loyalty of Muslims on one hand, and, accused the Congress 'appeasement of Muslims', on the other. This was most ridiculous of all communal propaganda. The Muslim minority was continually falling behind both in economic and educational field and yet the BJP launched an aggressive propaganda offensive of appeasement of Muslims. Nothing could be more absurd.
That Muslims were very backward, falling behind Dalits, who at least benefited to some extent from reservation policy, Muslims could not even avail of reservation. They did avail of reservation in educational institution in some southern states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka and that is why educational status of Muslims in these states is far better than that of Muslims in north.
The Muslims, generally being converts from low caste Hindus continued to follow those caste-based professions like weavers (large number of Muslims in India are weavers), dyers, bangle-makers, Malis, Faqirs, lalbegis, grave diggers, carders dhobis and so on. They are naturally mostly self-employed. These artisans and manual workers are facing acute crisis due to liberalization and globalization also.
The Gopal Singh High Commission report in early eighties and Sachar Committee report in 2006 have provided wealth of data on economic and educational data on Indian Muslims to show backwardness of Muslims in socio-economic status. Both these reports bring out vividly exclusion of Muslims in these fields. In political field too Muslims never got representations in proportions to their population. The number of M.P.s did not even reach 10 per cent in any elected Parliament. It is even worse when it comes to state assemblies. In BJP ruled state of M.P. there is a single MLA though there is Muslim population of 7 per cent in M.P. This speaks volumes about exclusion of Muslims even from political power.
The Gopal Singh High Power commission report was put in cold storage and was not even tabled in Parliament. When Shri V.P.Singh became Prime Minister and convened a meeting of Muslim leaders and intellectuals, I asked him about implementation of Gopal Singh High Powered Commission report. He, to my shock, was not even aware of any such report. He promised to table it in Parliament and he seemed to be sincere about it but his government fell before he could table it. And it was quietly forgotten during the period of Narsimha Rao. It was never tabled. And one could not expect it to be tabled during the BJP led government.
When the UPA government came to power it promised to take concrete steps for welfare of minorities and Sachar Committee was appointed. The Committee has done its work painstakingly and submitted its report but big question is whether this time it would be implemented.
The Muslim leadership at various levels is holding seminars, meetings and demonstration for implementation of Sachar Committee report. Prime Minster Shri Manmohan
Singh has also given assurance for its implementation. But no concrete steps have been announced so far. May be these steps will be announced nearer 2009 elections as a political soap.
It is because of this exclusion of certain castes and communities that identity becomes such an important player in democratic politics. Among religious communities there is question of exclusion of Christians and Muslims, more so Muslims, among caste communities there is exclusion of Dalits and backwards and among regional communities there is exclusion of certain regions like North-East etc.
The excluded communities mobilize their respective identities for putting pressure on the system. Immediately after independence many people felt that we should emphasize only one identity and that is national identity, all other identities should be de-emphasized, if not forgotten. But it was mere idealistic talk. As long as there is exclusion of some, identities will come into play.
Both Muslim and Dalit identities played very powerful role in pre-independence days. Jinnah mobilizing Muslim and Ambedkar Dalit identities. While
Ambedkar could win reservations by way of Poona pact in 1935 there was no such luck for Muslim separatist movement and our country fell apart before independence.
Thus in a democratic society identities can play constructive and creative as well destructive role. If corrective steps are not taken in time to do away with exclusion, identity mobilization is the only alternative left. Injustices leading to exclusion can be fought only by appeal to the concerned identity. One cannot talk of only national identity unless national policies are inclusive of all sections of society contained in the nation. Thus in today's India we cannot expect Nation. Those who monopolize all resources can talk of national identity but those left out cannot.
In political field even upper castes are mobilizing people of their caste on the basis of caste identity. Identity has become a potential weapon in the hands of politicians today. Whole politics in first past the poll parliamentary system is based unabashedly on caste and communal identities without even any honorable exception. Mayavati in U.P. came to power by first invoking Dalit identity and raising abusive slogans like tilak tarazu talwar (i.e. Brahmins, Banya and Rajput) inko maro jute char and then subsequently by raising placating slogan for these upper caste (hathi nahin ganesh hai).
Ideally speaking the question of exclusion should not have arisen but thanks to it these identities are playing powerful role in our political system. Not only that reservations for jobs for excluded sections cannot be done away with, more and more categories will have to be included and even there is talk of including private sector in reservation of jobs. It may not be possible immediately but either the private sector will have to come forward voluntarily with some scheme to include these low castes and tribes in offering jobs or government may have to take steps.
Of course Muslims have no chance to be included in reservation but some sections of Muslims constituting most backward castes among them or Dalits among them (about 4 per cent according to Sachar Committee) may have to be offered reservation. The Sachar Committee has recommended this measure.
All parties are based on vote banks of their own or coalition of certain castes and communities. This is very essential in a way for correcting historical injustices as far as low caste and backward religious communities are concerned. Muslims are now being wooed by several caste and regional parties. Both RJD in Bihar and SP and BSP in U.P. have tried to attract Muslims along with OBCs and Dalits. Still Muslims have not got much out of it as far as economic inclusion is concerned but have at least earned security of life and property to some extent.
Thus it will be seen that exclusion and inclusion in our complexly diverse society will continue to play important role in political dynamics of our country. Total exclusion of any caste or community can prove disastrous for our democratic polity. Political wisdom demands that our politicians should take steps for gradual inclusion of all backward sections of our society. Even incremental inclusion will greatly help in stabilizing our polity.
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Centre for Study of Society and Secularism
Mumbai.
E-mail: csss@mtnl.net.in
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