SC order a boost for Bengal's quota

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court order allowing Andhra Pradesh's move to extend reservation to backward Muslims is no endorsement of the advocacy for religion-based reservation for Muslims. It only allowed the government to increase the number of "backward" groups among Muslims by making additions to the state's OBC list. The effect of the order is to extend quota benefits to 14 "backward" groups among Muslims not recognized as such in the state list of OBCs before the law was enacted.

As an immediate fallout, the SC order could muffle criticism of the Buddhadeb Bahattacharjee government's recent decision to provide 10% quota to Muslims in jobs and admissions in West Bengal.

What found favour with the Bench was the impassioned argument of Vahanvati and Parasaran who defended AP Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes of Muslims Act, 2007, saying that it was not meant to benefit all Muslims in the state, but only the "socially and educationally backwards " among them who have been so identified on the basis of their occupation.

When barbers and washermen belonging to Hindus were included in the OBC list, why should similar groups among Muslims be not included in the list of backward classes and reservation provided to them, they asked.

The reasoning seemed to appeal to the Bench as it allowed operation of the quota law. "If the HC judgment is allowed to be continued, then these backward class groups will be denied the social affirmative action which they need," the court said.