Understanding the Backward Classes of Muslim Society

The issue of reservations for Muslims has been previously discussed on this blog.  

The current issue of EPW (August 21, 2010) carries an article of title above by Mr. P S Krishnan, sketching the path of backward classes amongst Muslims since inception of Islam in India,  and sets out the possible methods of identification of backward Muslims for the purposes of the reservation.  The article is available here and here on Google Docs.

Earlier, the comment of Supreme Court keeping open the possibility of reservations for Muslims was discussed here.  The Andhra Pradesh case has been discussed here. Developments from West Bengal have been reported here.

The Wakf (Amendment) Bill, 2010

Recall that in the Sachar Committee Report, extensive recommendation were made to amend and modify the law relating to Wakf.  Further to the same, the Wakf (Amendment) Bill, 2010 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on April 27, 2010 by the Minister of Minority Affairs, Shri Salman Kurshid.  The Bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha on May 7, 2010 and is presently pending in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill seeks to amend the Wakf Act, 1995 that provides for administration of Wakfs.  

Broadly, the objective of the amendments is to limit the intervention by the Government and to give certain powers to the Wakf Board to take summary actions to protect and secure Wakf Property.

PRS Legislative Brief for the Wakf (Amendment) Bill, 2010 is available here.  Further perspectives on the same are available here.  A further insight into the working of Wakf Boards (that obviously needs to be corrected) is available here.