Maharashtra Muslims form action committee on job quota
Mumbai, Aug 26: Maharashtra's Muslims on Sunday formed "Muslim Aarakshan Sanyukta Kruti Samiti" (Muslim Reservation Joint Action Committee) to force the state government to implement its promise of providing reservation in jobs.
The committee has been set up by top Muslim organisations, political leaders, scholars, academicians, lawyers, professionals and other prominent personalities to take their quota struggle to its logical conclusion.
When the erstwhile Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan-led Democratic Front government was in power, "it promulgated an ordinance" to provide 16 per cent reservations to Marathas and 5 per cent quotas for Muslims in government jobs and educational institutions.
Later, the Bombay High Court struck down the reservations for the politically-influential Maratha community completely but allowed 5 per cent reservations for Muslims only in educational institutions.
Subsequently, the Supreme Court upheld the order of the Bombay High Court.
Against the backdrop of the recent protests by the Maratha community for reservations and the renewed demand by Dhangars to be included in Schedule Tribes, the demand for Muslim quotas has also come to the fore.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Hussain Dalwai said it was high time the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre and Maharashtra government pay heed and work together to ensure reservations for Muslims.
Referring to the Rajinder Sachar Committee commissioned in 2005 by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Dalwai said, it is a report highlighting the plight and the current status of Muslims in India.
He pointed out that the Mehmood-ur-Rehman Committee had recommended 8-10 per cent reservation in education and jobs, plus a separate 10 per cent reservation for Muslim women.
This Committee was set up in 2008 by the previous Congress-Nationalist Congress Party Democratic Front government in Maharashtra, to study the economic, social and educational backwardness of Muslims in the state.
Shrimant Kokate of Maratha Seva Sangh has also backed the demand of the Muslims.
As per the Census 2011, Muslims constitute around 172 million or 14.20 per cent of the total Indian population and are the single largest religious minority.
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What is Iran’s 10-point plan? Key demands ahead of US talks in Islamabad
Tehran/Islamabad: Iran has outlined a 10-point plan as the basis for upcoming talks with the United States, expected to begin in Islamabad on April 11, according to a statement from the Iranian Supreme National Security Council.
The plan lays out Tehran’s key political, military and economic demands, and is being seen as a framework for negotiations following the recent escalation in the region.
Strait of Hormuz at the centre
A major focus of the plan is the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route. Iran has proposed “controlled passage through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the Iranian armed forces,” which it says would give the country a unique economic and geopolitical position.
The plan also calls for the “establishment of a safe transit protocol” in the Strait that would guarantee Iran’s dominance under an agreed mechanism.
Call to end conflict
Iran has demanded “the necessity of ending the war against all elements of the axis of resistance,” signalling its expectation that hostilities should stop not only in Iran but also involving allied groups in the region.
US troop withdrawal
Another key demand is the “withdrawal of US combat forces from all bases and deployment points in the region,” indicating Tehran’s long-standing position against American military presence in West Asia.
Sanctions relief and compensation
The plan places strong emphasis on economic measures. It calls for “full payment of Iran’s damages according to estimates,” along with “the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions and resolutions of the Board of Governors and the Security Council.”
It also seeks “the release of all Iranian assets and properties frozen abroad,” which have been a major point of contention for years.
Binding global guarantee
Finally, Iran has demanded that all these terms be formally recognised through “a binding Security Council resolution,” suggesting it wants international legal backing to ensure enforcement.
What this means
The 10-point plan reflects Iran’s broader push for security guarantees, economic relief and regional influence. The upcoming talks in Islamabad are expected to test how far both sides are willing to negotiate on these demands.
