Following its Dalit rallies and implicit support of Mayawati, the CPI(M) is all set to host a special convention for the Muslim community. This comes in the wake of reports that the proportion of Muslims among the party’s membership has been falling steadily in all states, except in Kerala and Tripura.

Now, the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) — the women’s wing of the CPI(M) — is organising a national convention of Muslim women on August 27. This assumes some political significance when read along with the political organisation report placed at the party’s 19th congress at Coimbatore in April, which had underlined the need to “recruit Muslim and Christian minorities in the party”. A series of similar meetings have already taken place in various states.

The first of its kind, the meeting in August will outline a charter of socio-economic, educational and health requirements for the Muslim community, including a demand to allocate 15 per cent of the annual budget under various ministries for its targeted development. “Our struggle is to ensure that the Indian Government bears its due responsibility and takes concrete measures for the upliftment of the Muslim community, which is one of the most underprivileged in India, especially for women” AIDWA general secretary Sudha Sundararaman told The Indian Express.

AIDWA’s charter of demands for the Muslim community includes more ITIs and health centres in Muslim-concentrated areas, recognition and support to Muslim minority educational institutions, more credit and employment facilities, compensation to communal-riot victims across the country and better representation of Muslim women in Government jobs and public sector units.

... contd.