Muslims react cautiously to Modi govt’s ‘progress panchayats’

Muslims in Uttar Pradesh have reacted cautiously to the Modi government ’s move to organise “progress panchayats” in minority dominated localities of the country.

The centre’s move is viewed by experts as an attempt at image makeover ahead of assembly elections in key northern states, including UP.

The community is still uncertain how the move will play out in UP which has nearly 19.5% cent minority voters including 18% Muslims who are being wooed equally by the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP), the opposition Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress.

“This announcement comes just ahead of the polls. It’s true that we have our problems. But the impact the move will have is still to be seen,” said Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad. Muslims have largely been sceptical of the BJP despite the RSS efforts to reach out to them.The RSS-backed Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) is also working to dispel the community’s misgivings.

“Though it’s still too early, I guess the move sounds good enough. If our services are required to connect with the community, we shall readily comply,” says Raees Khan, the convener of the MRM’s UP unit.

The ‘progress panchayats’ through which the minority affairs ministry headed by union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi plans to provide solutions for the community’s needs like education and healthcare facilities in minority localities have been announced days after PM Modi’s call to reach out to Muslims.

During his speech after the BJP’s national executive at Kozhikode, the PM had stressed on the need to “empower” the community which he said had largely been treated as a vote bank.

Professor Hilal Naqvi, who teaches economics at a city college, however, dismisses the move as “objectionable”. Hilal Naqvi, who is also associated with the Congress, said, “First, the PM makes derogatory references to Muslims using words like ‘items’ and ‘market’ in his speech and this is followed up by announcement of a panchayat ostensibly to solve Muslim issues. How long would the BJP continue to undermine us?”

Experts see this as a continuation of a familiar trend to woo Muslims ahead of elections.

“Didn’t the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) promise reservation to Muslims ahead of the 2012 UP polls? What happened to their promise after that? As far as the latest announcement by the BJP government is concerned, it does appear to be a well-intentioned move.

But as they say the proof of the pudding is in the eating,” says Athar Siddiqui from the Centre of Objective Research and Development (CORD). The campaign will be launched on Thursday from Haryana’s Mewat.