In the wake of constitution of a high
level committee headed by Justice Rajender Sachar in the year 2005, ten
organizations across the nation collaborated to fathom the socio-economic
condition of Muslims and initiated a mammoth exercise which, after painstaking
efforts of more than six months produced a comprehensive and valuable report -
socio-economic condition of Muslims in India.
The book is divided in nine chapters:
1. preface, 2. A general profile of Indian Muslims from various sources, 3.
Focus group discussion, 4. Findings of the survey, 5.Ghetoisations of Muslims:
trends and consequences, 6. conclusions and recommendations, 7. appendices, 8.
Questioners and 9. collaborating organizations.
In Gujarat I was team leader of the
team which surveyed urban as well as rural Muslim populace and collected
extensive data which later became part of the report. I selected certain
villages with specific background. One of them was Chhatrapati Sahu Maharaj Nagar,
post-quake settlement in Kutch. It was a glaring example of caste-community
based discrimination even in a settlement.
(Collaborating organizations: Al-Fazal
(Gujarat), Aman Sadbhavna Abhiyan (Bihar), Aman Samuday (Gujarat), ANHAD
(Delhi), National Muslim Women Welfare Society, People Research Society, Prayas
– Institute for Social Development, Shaheen Women’s Research and Welfare
Association, Jagrut Mahila Sanstha Parcham, Mangal Jyoti Mahila Evam Bal Vikas
Sanstha)
