Khurshid to first focus on empowerment of Muslims

NEW DELHI: The minister of state for minority affairs Salman Khurshid would rather concentrate on measures that would lead to "first-generation empowerment" than focusing on the issue of reservation for Muslims. Implementation of the recommendations of the Sachar Committee, therefore, is among Mr khurshid's top priorities.

"The delivery and fine-tuning of the Sachar Committee recommendations are among the key priorities of the ministry," Mr Khurshid said.

To this end, the minister hopes to ensure that procedural delays do not negate the aim of implementing the Sachar Committee report. He hopes once the "first-generation empowerment" takes place, a different view would emerge on the need for reservation of Muslims.

Since assuming office, Mr Khurshid has argued that reservation is not the only answer to social welfare, even as he describes it as a "time-tested and popular answer for welfare and empowerment".

Mr Khurshid is of the view that there is a need to consider one, what the Muslims are getting and two, what is their legitimate claim, before venturing into the issue of reservations.

However, the decision on providing reservation for Muslims is not really in the minister's hands. The Constitution does not recognise reservations based on caste or religion. A decision to provide for reservations on the basis of religion would require an amendment in the Constitution. But this would be no ordinary amendment, it would require amending the basic structure of the Constitution. As of now, reservations for Muslims remain a moot issue. As a Supreme Court advocate, Mr khurshid's inability to push for the idea of reservation on religious lines is rather simple to understand.

However, understanding what appears to be the ethos behind the demand, the minister would rather concentrate on implementing the Sachar Committee to ensure that the core issue is addressed. For now, sections of Muslims are designated as OBC, and can avail of the 27% reservation for OBCs.