Understanding Indian Muslims: A Vision Document

Abstract

Muslims constitute the largest minority of India and who according to the official census of 2011 are 14.2 percent of the total population. Despite much talk of developmental discourse in post independent India, they still occupy the position of a marginalized community. Unfortunately, India's tryst with destiny runs parallel with a perceived animosity nurtured by the legacy of partition that visibly started targeting Muslims. Muslims have been educationally backward, economically poor, socially enslaved, and suffer from grave political disabilities, from which no other minority community suffers today. The community has been utilized either as a vote bank or victimized by certain sets of stereotypes at the hands of successive political regimes. As revealed by Sachar Committee report, Muslims rank below S.C's and S.T's and they are deprived of every opportunity of development. Hence, this vision document will throw a deep insight into the grievances nursed by this downtrodden community and anticipate a positive response from the system in order to elevate (not alienate) the community at least at par with other subjugated classes.