Muslims now to get reservation in West Bengal panchayats
Submitted by admin4 on 22 December 2010 - 12:48pm
By Zaidul Haque, Twocircles.net,
Kolkata: After providing reservation in jobs and education to the
Muslim community under OBC category, the CPI-M led West Bengal
Government will now provide quota to the community in the three-tier
Panchayat system also. For the purpose, the government on December 21
introduced and passed a bill in the assembly to amend the West Bengal
Panchayat Act 1973.
Mr Anisur Rahman, State Panchayat and Rural Development Minister,
introduced the West Bengal Panchayat Act 1973 (Amendment) Bill on
Tuesday. The bill was passed without discussion as the entire
opposition (Trinamul Congress, Congress & SUCI) boycotted the
Assembly, alleging the bill is just for political dividends as the
assembly elections are round the corner. On 25th November the state
cabinet had approved the bill.
The major beneficiary of the amendment will be women whose quota in
Panchayat will be increased from 33% to 50% while OBCs will get
reservation as per their population. About 86% of the state Muslim
population has been brought under the OBC category recently when the
state government decided to provide Muslims quota in jobs and
education.
It is noted that CPI-M had helped the Congress led UPA-II at the
centre in passing the Women Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha in
March this year. West Bengal is the first state to introduce women
reservation in three-tier Panchayat System in the country since 1992.
As of now the three-tier Panchayat System in West Bengal has one-third
reservation for women. The new law will give more political rights and
representation women. The move is seen by opposition parties as an
attempt for political consolidation for upcoming Assembly election due
in May 2011.
For long, seats are reserved for SC/ST in the three-tier Panchayat
System – Gram Panchayet, Panchayet Samity and Zilla Parishad. Where
SC/ST people are living in majority, one-third of the seats are
reserved for them.
The Government has decided to take special measures to give OBC
candidates more priority in the three-tier Panchayet System.
Department of State Panchayet & Rural Development said, according to
percentage of their population in the state, OBCs will get
reservation. It is noteworthy that the West Bengal Govt has already
declared that 86 percent of Muslims will be covered under OBC
category.
Political analyzers said, CPI-M led West Bengal Government has an eye
on the backward classes who were the main strength for the party in
the last 30 years. However, in the last Lok Sabha election the CPI-M
felt the ground beneath shrinking as major chunk of Backward class
people as well as Muslims were found shifting their loyalty.
Opposition leader Mamata Banerjee led Trinamul Congress captured the
huge vote among the minority & backward classes. The majority of
Muslim voters had been with CPI-M in the last 30 years.
Mamata convinced the minority people that in 34 years of ruling Left
Front Govt did nothing for them. She utilized the Sachar report on
poor situation of the Muslims in West Bengal. As a result, she made
huge gain in the election. Her eye is on the chair of Chief Minister
in the upcoming Assembly election. After the Nandigram incident,
Siddiqullah Chowdhury also brought out the poor situation of Muslims
in the limelight.
To recover the Muslim vote, West Bengal Chief Minister has taken the
decision to bring most of the Muslims under Other Backward Classes or
OBC. The government already declared overall 17 per cent reservation
for OBC in which 10 percent are for more backward classes. Government
claimed that under the More Backward Class OBC at least 86 percent of
Muslims will be covered.
In West Bengal, 22 per cent of people are SC/ST and Muslims are 27
percent according to census 2001. So, after the implementation of the
amended Pachayet law Muslim representation in the Three Tier Panchayet
System will be increased.
The Muslims of West Bengal have welcomed this decision but Mamata
Banerjee's TMC called it a political gimmick. In West Bengal out of 19
Districts 12 Districts are Muslim dominated with 40 -78 percentage of
population. So, political empowerment of Muslims in West Bengal may be
seen in coming assembly election.
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