Dalit Muslims to hold rally for SC reservation benefits

By Alok Mohit

Patna: The All India United Muslim Front has announced plans to hold a ‘Millat Bachao-Mulk Bachao rally’ in support of its demand to extend Scheduled Caste (SC) reservation benefits to Dalit Muslims by removing religious restrictions from Section 341 of the Constitution.

A decision to this effect was taken during a state-level meeting held at Zakat Bhawan in Patna on Sunday, September 1. The meeting was chaired by All India United Muslim Front national president Dr M Ejaz Ali. The meeting saw participation from various organisations, including Backward Muslim Morcha.

In his address, Ali, a former MP and founder of Dalit Muslim Tehreek, emphasized the importance of amending this section of the Constitution. Drawing a parallel with Article 370, he argued that if the provisions related to Jammu and Kashmir could be abrogated, there was no reason why Article 341 could not be amended.

Ali, who has been leading the movement against Section 341 since 1994, said the Front had tirelessly worked to bring attention to the Dalit Muslim issue across the country, influencing the manifestos of political parties, government commissions, and even discussions in several assemblies and Parliament.

The meeting also focused on the recent formation of the Justice KG Balakrishnan Commission, which has been tasked with examining the condition of Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians. Ali said the commission’s creation indicated that the time was ripe for the resolution of this issue, provided there was unity among the Muslims.

Backward Muslim Morcha national president Kamal Ashraf Rayeen spoke about the long struggle by the Morcha’s workers, likening it to “Lord Shri Ram’s 14-year exile”. He pointed out that even after 30 years, the Morcha continued to fight against what it saw as “constitutional injustice under Article 341”. Rayeen expressed hope that the current Union government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would take concrete steps to address the demands for Dalit Muslim reservation.

Several leaders, including Dr. Ibraaz Ali, Asgar Ali, Mohammad Abid, Mohammad Nizam, and others, also addressed the gathering, expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for constituting the Justice Balakrishnan Commission. They called for a renewed and peaceful movement to achieve the long-standing demand for Dalit Muslim rights, aligning it with electoral politics.