India, despite of being partitioned in 1947 along communal lines is home to about 200 million Muslims, the second largest Muslim population in the world. In spite of the country’s secular constitution the Indian government gave freedom to the Muslim minorities in making social and religious decisions through the Muslim Personal Law boards, the guardians of Muslims in India. Not that religious and social freedom granted to the Muslim Personal Law boards did any good to the overwhelming Muslims of the country, a large number among them steeped in poverty, illiteracy and superstition. The failure of Muslim law boards to improve the lives of the Muslims has raised demands for implementation of a uniform civil code in the country from a minor section of the Muslim intelligentsia and the women rights groups. However, the compulsion of electoral politics has kept away all successive governments in the country from implementing a uniform civil code.
At last, after remaining oblivion to the ground realities for decades the guardians of the Indian Muslims have awaken to the needs of the Muslim. The Sachar Committee report has correctly pointed out at the poor performance of the Indian Muslims on all fronts –social, economical and educational. The Darul Uloom the premier Muslim Madrasa in the country has come up with ideas to equip Muslim students with an education system that is secular in nature similar to the mainstream education in India. The Madrasa curriculum will include along with traditional religious education, modern science mathematics and computer application. It needs to be pointed out that Madrasa system of education is popular largely among the poor Muslims living in the rural areas. Secular education alone can salvage Indian Muslims from abject poverty that is seen as the main cause for rise in Islamic extremism among the youths.
Social injustices are concentrated largely among Muslims in the rural areas and the poor Muslims, while educated financially sound urbanite Muslims have succeed in all fronts – business, sports, art and education. That the Muslim women in India have come a long way can be gauged from the success story of the Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza. However, the likes of Sania Mirzas belong to the fortunate class of elite Muslims. Unfortunately, the country is largely a place where likes of Shah Banus and Imranas shed their tears while silently suffering inhumane social injustices. In a recent bold move towards woman emancipation, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board has allowed Muslim women to marry according to their choice and if forced to marry against her wishes she can declare her marriage null and void. Every move at reforming the Muslim society would help not only the Indian Muslims but also the country, as a whole will benefit from it.
Source:merinews
Image:washington post
