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Rise of AIMIM: Liberal Muslims fear communal divide deepening

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The spectacular success of AIMIM in Maharashtra has led to consternation among liberal Muslims who fear its brand of rabble-rousing politics may deepen the communal divide and affect the process of main-streaming Muslims.

AIMIM, which is planning to contest municipal elections, won two seats—Byculla (Mumbai) and Aurangabad–in its maiden major political venture in Maharashtra. It also got significant number of votes in places like Solapur.
Muslim activists however point out that apart from its hardline agenda, factors like social and economic backwardness of Muslims, anger at being merely treated as vote-banks by 'secular' parties, and lack of a strong Muslim leadership had attracted the community to AIMIM.

"This will have a bad impact on the community. The process of main-streaming will be affected," said Congress Rajya Sabha MP Hussain Dalwai, brother of Hamid Dalwai, who campaigned for social reforms among Muslims. Dalwai admitted that erstwhile Congress-NCP state government had fallen short in ensuring the welfare of its core constituency.

"Some questions relating to Muslims like Wakf Board, scholarships, arrest of innocent youth in terror-related cases are pending. After the murder of Mohsin Shaikh by Hindu Rashtra Samiti in Pune, no sympathies were expressed. Muslims are angry about this," charged Dalwai, adding that Muslim leadership, especially that of Maharashtrian Muslims, had not been allowed to develop.

Ghulam Peshimam, convenor, Muslims for Secular Democracy (MSD), fear the emergence of AIMIM deepening communal divide. He however predicted that it too would wither away like Samajwadi Party (SP) did. SP had created a splash in 1999 winning three seats, but gradually faded away.

Peshimam stressed the need to separate religion from politics, and pointed out that the younger, educated generation was gradually veering away from emotional politics.

"Muslims who voted AIMIM, as they despised Congress and NCP, are now regretting their decision," claimed Shabbir Ahmed Ansari of All India Muslim OBC Organisation, adding that constituencies which had elected the party "had regressed by 10 years." He also said there was need for liberals from all communities to take on fundamentalists among their fold.

Areas of concern
Just 2.2% of Maharashtra's Muslims, who comprise around 10.6% of the population and form the second-largest religious group in the state, have completed graduation. (Maharashtra has the fourth largest Muslim population in India). The percentage of women graduates is an even lesser at 1.4%. More than half (59.4%) of Muslims in urban ares are below poverty line, while the figure is marginally higher in hinterlands at 59.8%.

Muslims comprise just 4.4% of police force, have no IAS officers in Maharashtra cadre and 58% of them in urban areas live in slums. In urban pockets, room density for Muslims is 4.6 persons per room, while it is 3.7 in rural areas. Also, the community has regressive customs like oral talaq and nikah halala.

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