By Afroz Alam Sahil

What’s the most important need of Muslims right now? The mosque built on a disputed land for barely 200 Muslims? The promises made in Parliament or the rightful share in the resources and policies of the country? In order to help you move to the right pole we will expose you to some uncanny statistical facts. Undoubtedly the data will blow the cap off the head of Nitish, the soft Mulayam will look stiff, Azam Khan will appear artful, and the governments and politicians advocating for Muslims’ rights will sound dissolute.

Muslims Appeasement – A Myth ExposedBeyondHeadlines sought facts through RTI on the scheme of welfare for minority communities from central government will expose the Myth of Muslim Appeasement. Policies and schemes for the welfare of minority communities, especially Muslims, are dying on the papers (or politicians and Bureaucrats are strangling them).

Budget Sanctioned 100 Crore, Released One Lakh, and Spent Naught:

Maulana Azad Education Foundation is one of many government schemes and institutions for the promotion of educational, social and economic status of the Minorities. Newspapers do not get tired of speaking at length of this institution. But the reality speaks for sure. In 2012-13, the government passed 100 crore for this institution, but released just one lakh which was spent nowhere. Had the amount been spent, the need of some Muslims would have been met, which neither government nor politicians would hope so.

Scheme for Leadership Development of Minority Women: An Illusion

The government launched a scheme to inculcate leadership quality among minority women. Under this scheme, in the year of 2012-13, government secured 15 crore, but 12.80 crore was made available, out of that only 10.45 crore was used up. In 2011-12, budget was set at 15 crore, but only 4 lakh was issued. Likewise, in 2010-11, 15 crore was announced, but only 5 crore was released. Astonishingly, in 2009-10, full budget of 8 crore was released. But in the name of expenditure, it has never been out. Had it been spent, some of the women among Muslims could have been prepared to take over the responsibilities of the community. But the governments and politicians did not, perhaps, hope so. They are busy in arranging iftar party or solving issues on mosque.

Not a Single Penny Spent

The same happened to the grant-in-aid to State Channelising Agencies (SCA) engaged for implementation in NMDFC Programme. A grant of 2 crore was sanctioned in 2012-13, but only 66 lakh was released. Hopefully it would have benefited to some needy if spent on them, instead it has been lying idle in respective department and not a single coin moved from there. Here, it is silly to raise questions of doubt on the credibility of the function of the officers. If no money is spent, no work is done. Perhaps they were busy in collecting ransom for the politicians.

Funds Laid Unclaimed in State Treasury

To ensure the strengthening of the State Wakf Board, Government passed a budget of 5 crore in 2012-13, but only 10 lakh was released. Should I need to tell you that not even a single rupee was spent out of this fund? What would you do if I told you the real fact? Perhaps nothing; the wall of the mosque (that is not there, which has never been there) is more debatable for you. What is more, in 2010-11, a sum of 7 crore was sanctioned, but only 10 lakh was made available that was laid unclaimed in state treasure as in 2012-13 the funds were not spent (intentionally or not).

Religious Notions Only Flame Sectarian Sentiment

Government also set budget to support the students clearing Prelims conducted by UPSC, SSC, State Public Services Commission etc. for the year 2012-13 and sanctioned 4 crore; unfortunately merely 2 lakh was released. Even this lean amount couldn’t be spent. Had 4 crore been spent, probably few of minority students would have cleared civil service examination. But the politicians speaking up for Muslim cause did not favor this. That is why, their uncut speeches and flashing slogans in the cause of Muslim welfare go unheeded, and the Muslims are left with hollow assurance and sunken hope. Do not question Azam Khan, Shafikurrahman Burq or Asaduddin Owaisi about this, else their eyes would become red or you would see them high-flown as you see them in Parliament speaking pompously. They could raise the issues like of Vande Matram to be sung or not, but of the funds to be released or not they deem no value. Their religious notions only flame sectarian sentiment.

Budget Gone Aught

For Skill Development Initiatives, the budget was set at 20 crore for the year of 2012-13, but mere 5 lakh was released, out of which no amount was spent. The scheme for containing population decline of small minorities met with same fate. In 2012-13, central government sanctioned 2 crore for this scheme, but the released amount was just 1 lakh, and the expenditure was null. Similarly, in 2010-11 this scheme reached same doom. Interestingly, rest of the budget year bore aught.

Scheme Vanished

In the name of Promotional Activities for Linguistic Minorities a budget of one crore was approved in 2010-11, but merely 5 lakh was released and like other schemes this scheme, too, saw not a single rupee to be spent. Afterward, no budget is sanctioned for this scheme, or better to say, the scheme is made disappeared. In 2012-13, a budget of 2 crore was favoured for the Interest Subsidy on Educational Loans for Overseas Studies, but the amount released was just 2 lakh. Similarly, the 2010-11 spoke of same fate. In both of the years outlay was zero; for the rest of years budget vanished.

Computerization of Records of State Wakf Boards: A Drama

In 2012-13, for computerization of records of State Wakf Boards the funds were set at 5 crore, but the amount released was 1.65 crore. All the states together could not afford to spend even this sum of money. Only 89 lakh out of 1.65 crore was spent. The 2011-12 has no different story to tell. This budget year, too, approved 5 crore but released only 2 crore, out of which merely 62 lakh could be spent by the states. The 2010-11 will take your breath away. This budget year had fixed 15 crore for this scheme, but only 6 crore was made available. Merely 3.63 crore out of 6 crore was used up by all states.

Do Not Raise Questions

In 2012-13, the grant accepted for Merit-cum-Means Scholarship for professional and technical courses of under graduate and post graduate was 220 crore, out of which 184.07 crore was released, and a good of 181.21 crore has been spent. This can be appreciated. But for 2008-09, the budget for the scholarship approved 124.90 crore, and the released amount has been 64.94 crore. Perhaps there has not been a single student who has not applied for this scholarship. Many application forms have been rejected just because of unavailability of the funds. But the question arises here if complete fund is not released, and whatever released is not spent up, how can the application form be rejected? Now if we ask this question to the politicians, they would be dumbfounded. And if they would defend their crookedness, no truth their lips reveal; because this truth is louder than their hollow leadership.

Silence is Golden!

The scheme, Multi Sectoral Development Programme for Minorities in selected Minority Concentrated Districts, set a budget of 539.80 crore in 2008-09, but released only 279.89 crore. And in 2012-13, it was 999 crore, but only 649 crore was released. Asking Muslim leaders about this would land you into trouble. Perhaps a brick of a demolished mosque would hit your nut!

Who Will Clap for Politicians?

In 2008-09, 99.90 crore was assigned for Post Matric Scholarship, but only 69.93 crore was made out. Whereas in 2012-13, 500 crore was proposed for this scheme, and 340.75 crore was made available out of which 326.55 crore was spent. Had the allotted budget released, students from economically deprived family could have entered the college. But if children of deprived minority communities were enlightened by education, who would clap for pompous speech of politicians.

No Amount Spent on These Schemes

The status of Scheme for promotion of education in 100 minority concentrate towns/cities out of 251 such town/cities identified as backward was too bad. For this scheme central government sanctioned a budget of 50 crore, but a merely 4 lakh was granted. Out of 4 lakh was spent naught.

The same fate incurred on Village Development Programme for Villages not covered by MCB/MCDs. Central government passed 50 crore for this scheme, but only 4 lakh was made out which has no single penny to be spent.

In 2012-13, for support to district level institutions in MCDs central government approved 25 crore, but released amount was 4 lakh, out of which outlay was null, that is, no individual is benefited under this scheme.

Central government launched scheme of Free Cycles to girl students of class IX, and in 2012-13, proposed a grant of 5 crore for this scheme. Out of released amount of only 4 lakh, zero has been the figure of expenditure!

Every promotional and welfare scheme adopted to uplift the educational, social, and economic status of minority communities has died out on paper. And our so called pro-Muslim leaders bore no face of remorse.

First, the budget was cumin seed to camel’s mouth. Further it fell short of target. Huge share of national budget was duped by our life-size leaders.

If this reality has not soaked your throat, your heart is going to be numb. Because the most embarrassing fact is that the fund released for advertising the schemes, and boards and banners of politicians has outgrown its sanctioned amount. No newspapers or TV channels will inform you about this because the whole media moves on the wheels of this amount. When newspapers and TV channels have already been paid their share, why should they bother whether the sanctioned amount has reached to rightful needy or not? No reporter, perhaps, has the courage to fire these issues at the nose of government because it would blast his career.

Full Focus on Publicity

Let me tell you government proposed a budget of 5 crore for Research/Studies, Monitoring & Evaluation of Development Schemes for Minorities including Publicity in 2008-09, and released 8.95 crore. Interestingly, a big part of it, 7.97 crore, was spent. In 2009-10, this budget went up to 13 crore. Surprisingly, entire budget was released, out of which 11.97 crore was spent. In 2010-11, the budget has been increased to 22 crore, and ‘intact’ 22 crore has also been released. Out of 22 crore, 19.63 crore has been spent out. The same budget is raised up to 36 crore in 2011-12, and 36 crore has also been released, 24.48 crore has been laid out. In 2012-13, the budget rose to 40 crore, the amount released has been 33.30 crore, out of which 33.29 crore has been spent. Now the queries slip into our mind, while the genuine amount has not been released how the amount bigger than the released be spent on its study and advertisement? We will try out to present you with reality.

If you have been following media in any form print or visual since last 15 days, you will be confronting with a single red hot offspring of dazzling media, mosque issue. At least for UP Government it appears so. You have to ask a question yourselves why for the media the wall of a mosque coming down and an IAS officer being transferred for this is the story to fan out, but millions of funds being ransacked in the name of Muslims is not. If you could resolve this fundamental question, you have certainly moved to a step leading to enlightenment.

The UP Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav, callously, said he transferred the IAS officer owing to maintain communal harmony, and he would do the same if communal harmony is ever disturbed. Will he daringly say what action he made against the officers who stripped Muslims of their legitimate right? Azam Khan who claims himself messiah of Muslim community will look at vacuum if he is asked this question. He could jail a person on account of a comment done on his post, but no action he dare take against those taking away rights of Muslims.

Now the question is, when our politicians are being cold, officers and bureaucrats are leeching on us, Muslim leaders are being unblemished, what is our role? The answer lies in us; start asking difficult questions. The nation should know how hollow and immoral our government, politicians and Muslim leaders are, and if this could raise their moral sense they would start thinking of rightful concerns.

(Originally written in Hindi by by author based on RTI responses he received from several departments, the article was translated by Fazal Karim and first appeared at BeyondHeadlines.in )