Furore in Parliament over headcount of Muslims

     New Delhi: Opposition parties created mayhem in Parliament on Friday over a government order for Muslim census in the armed forces, saying the move is aimed at vote bank politics. Opposition leader Lal Krishna Advani accused the government of playing vote bank politics at the cost of compromising the integrity of the armed forces. "There is poverty in the country, no doubt about it, there is backwardness in the country, no doubt about it. All sections of the people must be taken forward, welfare must be thought of but not in a sectarian manner. My charge against this government, the ruling party is that all this is being done aimed mainly at vote bank politics. I can name so many measures taken during the last one and half years aimed at vote bank politics. Vote bank politics has done a lot of damage to the country but to bring it in the armed forces is disgraceful, it is not acceptable," Advani said in the Lok Sabha. "Never in independent India has any government even thought of it. This UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government is the first of its kind. I don't know if the allies are in agreement of it. But basically, it is something that should not be viewed as a prestige issue. I would appeal to the Defence Minister present here, leader of the House, view it objectively. What is sought to be achieved by it?," he added.

    However, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee denied the charge and said the issue was being blown out of proportion. "I can assure them there is no question of compromising the character of the Indian armed forces and at the same time, let us not be carried away by emotions. A particular phrase has been chosen-communal headcount. I do not know from where this phrase has come," Mukherjee said. The government has said the panel's recommendations, which are to be submitted by June 9, are expected to help it plan, formulate and implement specific interventions to uplift the Muslim community, which is India's largest minority. Advani had said that the Prime Minister's Office has asked all three wings of the armed forces to provide data on the number of Muslims in its ranks, including their positions and role in key operations. A committee headed by a retired judge was undertaking the Muslim- specific survey, Advani had added. The Prime Minister's Office, however, has already distanced from the controversy, saying it had sought only a report from the panel on the social, economic and educational status of Muslims. The socio-economic survey of the status of Muslims has sparked a controversy after the opposition alleged that the demand seeking data on how many Muslims were there in the military and their ranks was a "communal" move.

    The move had even faced opposition from the Chief of Army Staff General J.J.Singh. "We never have this kind of a thing like where you come from, what language you speak or what religion you believe in, " General Singh had said. Describing the defence forces as apolitical, secular and a professional one, General Singh had said that the system for entry into the armed forces and enrolment is based on merit and on the ability to perform the task assigned. Although, the Navy and the Air Force have already submitted their data to the government, the Army has vehemently opposed the survey on the plea that it may severely hurt the morale of the forces. Opposing the move, National Democratic Alliance convener and former Defence Minister George Fernandes had said that there could be no minority and majority in the armed forces, adding that whoever was floating these ideas was working to weaken the forces and break their morale.

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