5.4 India: an overview


India, officially Republic of India, republic (2005 estimated ‎population is 1,080,264,000. The second most populous country in ‎the world, it is also sometimes called Bharat, its ancient name. India's ‎land frontier stretches from the Arabian Sea on the west to the Bay of ‎Bengal on the east and touches Pakistan (W); China, Nepal, and ‎Bhutan (N); Bangladesh, which forms an enclave in the northeast; and ‎Myanmar (E). New Delhi is India's capital and Mumbai (formerly ‎Bombay) its largest city.

India: key Islamic issues
1. Lack of Security‎
One of the major problems of Indian Muslims is lack of security. ‎Riots, communal violence have become a
sad reality ‎of India’s life and ‎the majority of the victims of riots in India are Muslims. They face ‎double
edged torture of ‎victimization at the hands of rioters and later ‎by police. The bloody massacre of Muslims
in Gujarat in late ‎February ‎‎2002 that led to the death of over 2000 Muslims is a ghastly ‎reminder of an
organized violence with tacit support by ‎the ruling ‎authorities.
2. Lesser Representation in Governmental Posts
Another major problem is lack of proportionate representation in ‎public jobs e.g. Law enforcing agencies,‎
administrative set ups and ‎policy making. The political milieu just after the partition was such ‎that made
Muslims feel ‎so demoralized that they could not dare ask ‎the question as to why the doors of govt. jobs‎
were barred to them ‎after ‎the independence. The Muslim civil servants similarly were not ‎to be...‎

5.4 India: an overview


...appointed on sensitive posts and extra caution ‎had to be used ‎for issuing even passports to them. ‎
3. Low income and Lack of Mechanism of Financial Help‎
Another problem of Muslim community is its low income. Although ‎the economic and social situation of
Muslims is ‎not the same ‎throughout India, one cannot deny the fact that poverty and lack of ‎genuine
financial recourses are ‎hampering socio- educational ‎development of the community at every step. In
modern Industries ‎and trades, ‎except for some isolated instances, Muslims had nor ‎owned large scale
industries or business and are found lacking in ‎high ‎entrepreneurial traits. In a group of 2832 Industrial
houses each with ‎the sales of 50 million and more the ‎Muslims have only four units. ‎The houses allotted to
Muslims by Government to middle and lower ‎income groups the ‎percentage of Muslim allotte is barely
2.86%. The ‎licenses of fair price shop issued to Muslims in UP is barely 6.9%. ‎‎Muslims account for only
0.25% tangible benefits extended to artisans ‎from Khadi and village industries commission.