While the education level of Indian Muslims has progressed since independence it still lags behind the overall amount of progress, said Ahmed Rashid Shervani, a member of the National Commission for Minorities in the Indian Government.
Shervani is currently in Dubai on a private visit and said that the commission is focusing on the education of minorities rather than "playing the role of an ambulance whenever a communal riot breaks out".
He said that while the government does not interfere in the working of the commission it still lacks in authority to carry out an independent investigation on various matters of concern.
"The government in my opinion is scared that the Minorities Commission will create a problem. Investigations are carried out by the National Human Rights Commission, headed by an Indian Police Service officer that even has the right to reject a government report on a particular incident. We are now focusing on how to build a better inter-communal relationship."
Minorities account for 20 to 22 per cent of the total population of India, of which 14 per cent are Muslims, three per cent Christians, three per cent Sikhs and the remaining comprise of Parsees and Buddhists.
"It is interesting to note that the Indian Muslims had lagged behind in education prior to independence. After independence, there has been progress in this regard but it is not something that is very visible."
Blaming the community for lack of effort, he said, "They should understand that the importance of education is even given in the Holy Quran. I would not call anyone educated if he or she has passed out from a junior school. Just because you can sign your name does not mean that you are educated."
Shervani started his work 28 years ago, raising awareness on the importance of education to Indian Muslims in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
"In the first decade after independence, education got a spurt and the number of students appearing for the broad examinations was doubled to about 700,000. But most Muslims were in a sort of daze after partition, many not knowing whether they are here or there.
"In the second decade Muslims' education increased marginally to about 42,000, just about three per cent of the total population. In the third decade the total crossed two million and Muslims were fumbling somewhere at about 50,000, just about 2.5 per cent of the total.
"Thereafter in the fourth decade after independence, Indian Muslims just kept pace with others. During the fifth decade after independence Indian Muslims began inching forward. They moved up, but just a bit.
Accounting the present scenario, he said out of all students appearing for grade 10 broad examinations in north India, about 2.5 per cent are Muslims. According to their proportion in population now, he added, which is about 14 per cent, they are still five to six times behind others.
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