The Marxist parties have so far not offered us dynastic democracy, but they do worse by offering us Stalin and now Saddam Hussain as their heroes.

Since the Sachar report has been widely welcomed by more politically correct analysts as a giant liberal, secular leap forward I am going to begin by explaining why I see it as a dangerous and divisive document.

Its main message is that Muslims have fallen off the development and education map of India and it blames this on discrimination and a lack of access to good schools. One of the solutions it suggests is high-quality government schools in Muslim areas since nearly 70 per cent of Muslim children rely on the public education system.

Why not high quality government schools for everyone? As someone who has travelled the country in such of good government schools, may I say that I have not seen one that would be considered a good school by modern, 21st century standards. To recommend that good schools be built only in Muslim areas is as retrograde and divisive a suggestion as possible.

If Muslims have not participated fully in the economic prosperity of the past fifteen years it is largely due to the 7th century mentality in which an unfortunately large number of Muslims wish to bring up their children. Why does the Sachar Committee not describe the effect on the community of elite seminaries like Deoband?

If you are a woman you enter its precincts at your risk unless you are veiled. Why does it not explain why most Muslim families continue to deprive girls of basic education? No government can do for Muslims what they refuse to do for themselves, and the Sachar Committee report is little more than an exercise in delusion.

... contd.