The Union cabinet is racing to clear a Muslim quota in central jobs.
NEW DELHI: The Union cabinet is racing to clear a Muslim quota in central jobs soon in order to beat the enforcement of the model code of conduct that will close the room for major policy decisions in the run-up to the crucial Uttar Pradesh polls.
The Centre expects the Election Commission to announce the poll schedule for Punjab and Uttarakhand by December-end. Although there is no clarity on the likely time-frame for the UPcontest, the announcement of schedule for other states will bring into force the code of conduct, forbidding the Centre from making important announcements such as the one on job quota for Muslims which is primarily designed for Uttar Pradesh.
Sources said the Centre is preparing to carve out a quota for Muslims and other minorities within the 27% OBC quota. The move is crucial for the Congress offensive to woo Muslims for the UP poll, particularly because of indications that support from the community, which helped the party win 22 Lok Sabha seats in 2007, has lately been wavering.
The Samajwadi Party, which suffered as a sizeable section of Muslims switched their affection to the Congress, has recouped some of its loss.
The emergence of Peace Party as a strong contender for the vote of the community, and its assiduous wooing by chief minister Mayawati, are other spokes in the Congress's plan to replicate its 2007 performance.
Indications of an early decision were reinforced on Monday after Muslim leaders from UP told Congress general secretary and the party's spearhead for UP Rahul Gandhi that not delivering on quota after the hype would be counter-productive. "Leave government's job to government," Rahul is learnt to have said in what his audience read as an assurance as well as the lament that party functionaries, while complaining about government, were not active at the grassroots.
Union minority affairs minister Salman Khurshid has repeatedly said that a Muslim quota was on its way. The minority affairs ministry has proposed 8.4% minority quota within the 27% OBC quota, of which 6% is likely to be for Muslims.
The urgency for major Muslim outreach programme means the Congress has wound up the in-house discussions on the pros and cons of the quota move, its apprehensions revolving around the reaction of Hindus, particularly OBCs. Sources said the leadership was concerned about how the issue would play out among the backward community if the BJP launched a campaign claiming 'Muslim appeasement' would deprive OBCs of 8% share in job quota. The Congress has also been worried about the constitutionality of a reservation scheme which many insist on calling religion-based quota.
The 'quota within quota' route will create a sub-quota within the 27% for backwards and earmark it exclusively for Muslims and minorities who would form a sub-group of OBC list.
The move seeks to address the grievance that educationally and financially weaker communities are unable to compete with stronger OBCs for reservations and the quota ends up being monopolized by a handful of communities. The grievance is at the core of the growing acceptability of sub-categorization for OBCs.
The Centre is also likely to shortly convene a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) to augment the coverage and support for schemes for minority welfare, especially in districts with a sizeable concentration of Muslims.
Rahul's meeting with the party's Muslim leaders from UP on Monday was marked by him candidly saying that the Centre's good work for minorities was not percolating down to masses because party leaders were not engaging with them enough. In a milder extension of his tongue-lashing to UP leaders on Friday for their lack of effort on the ground, he urged them to go to town over the Centre's Muslim outreach. The party has already planned an aggressive campaign to win over Muslim support and feels that quota could give it the cutting edge.
Rahul said the just-announced package for weavers and student scholarships should be propagated among people to win their support. "What the government has to do, it will do. But you please go to people and talk about UPA's good work," Rahul reportedly said. Sources said the targeted campaign for Muslims was set to get underway in a week
The Centre expects the Election Commission to announce the poll schedule for Punjab and Uttarakhand by December-end. Although there is no clarity on the likely time-frame for the UPcontest, the announcement of schedule for other states will bring into force the code of conduct, forbidding the Centre from making important announcements such as the one on job quota for Muslims which is primarily designed for Uttar Pradesh.
Sources said the Centre is preparing to carve out a quota for Muslims and other minorities within the 27% OBC quota. The move is crucial for the Congress offensive to woo Muslims for the UP poll, particularly because of indications that support from the community, which helped the party win 22 Lok Sabha seats in 2007, has lately been wavering.
The Samajwadi Party, which suffered as a sizeable section of Muslims switched their affection to the Congress, has recouped some of its loss.
The emergence of Peace Party as a strong contender for the vote of the community, and its assiduous wooing by chief minister Mayawati, are other spokes in the Congress's plan to replicate its 2007 performance.
Indications of an early decision were reinforced on Monday after Muslim leaders from UP told Congress general secretary and the party's spearhead for UP Rahul Gandhi that not delivering on quota after the hype would be counter-productive. "Leave government's job to government," Rahul is learnt to have said in what his audience read as an assurance as well as the lament that party functionaries, while complaining about government, were not active at the grassroots.
Union minority affairs minister Salman Khurshid has repeatedly said that a Muslim quota was on its way. The minority affairs ministry has proposed 8.4% minority quota within the 27% OBC quota, of which 6% is likely to be for Muslims.
The urgency for major Muslim outreach programme means the Congress has wound up the in-house discussions on the pros and cons of the quota move, its apprehensions revolving around the reaction of Hindus, particularly OBCs. Sources said the leadership was concerned about how the issue would play out among the backward community if the BJP launched a campaign claiming 'Muslim appeasement' would deprive OBCs of 8% share in job quota. The Congress has also been worried about the constitutionality of a reservation scheme which many insist on calling religion-based quota.
The 'quota within quota' route will create a sub-quota within the 27% for backwards and earmark it exclusively for Muslims and minorities who would form a sub-group of OBC list.
The move seeks to address the grievance that educationally and financially weaker communities are unable to compete with stronger OBCs for reservations and the quota ends up being monopolized by a handful of communities. The grievance is at the core of the growing acceptability of sub-categorization for OBCs.
The Centre is also likely to shortly convene a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) to augment the coverage and support for schemes for minority welfare, especially in districts with a sizeable concentration of Muslims.
Rahul's meeting with the party's Muslim leaders from UP on Monday was marked by him candidly saying that the Centre's good work for minorities was not percolating down to masses because party leaders were not engaging with them enough. In a milder extension of his tongue-lashing to UP leaders on Friday for their lack of effort on the ground, he urged them to go to town over the Centre's Muslim outreach. The party has already planned an aggressive campaign to win over Muslim support and feels that quota could give it the cutting edge.
Rahul said the just-announced package for weavers and student scholarships should be propagated among people to win their support. "What the government has to do, it will do. But you please go to people and talk about UPA's good work," Rahul reportedly said. Sources said the targeted campaign for Muslims was set to get underway in a week
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