Shabbir Ali gets AIMES Award - TeluguPeople.com News

Hyderabad, April 18 (INN): The All India Muslim Education Society gave a prestigious award to Leader of Opposition in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir for his role and contribution in getting 4 per cent reservation for Muslim community in the State.

The award was presented to Shabbir Ali by former Governor Aziz Qureshi in the presence of several eminent personalities during National Educaiton Conference held at Ravindra Bharathi here on Saturday. The award has been instituted in the memory of eminent educationist and founder Chairman of Shadan Group of Institution late Dr Vizarat Rasool Khan.

Speaking on the occasion, Shabbir Ali recalled the entire journey for Muslim reservation. "I was denied admission in the engineering stream despite getting 68% marks in intermediate. My friend, who hailed from Backward Classes, got 61% and got admission in an engineering college due to reservation. This particular incident forced me take a resolve to get reservation benefit for Muslim community. Later, I joined the Congress party and chased my dream of reservation," Shabbir Ali said.

Shabbir Ali said the first efforts, at the official level, to get Muslim reservation were made in 1993 when he formed the country's first Minorities Welfare Department. A GO was also issued in 1994 during Chief Minister K Vijay Bhaskar Reddy's regime providing reservation to Muslims in jobs and education along with a few other backward classes. A BC Commission was also constituted to decide the quota. However, the TDP Government gave six extensions to the Commission during its 10-year rule and did not seek a single page report.

"Within 58 days of coming to power in 2004, the Congress Government, led by Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy, gave 5% reservation to the Muslim community. However, it was scrapped by the High Court on the grounds that reservation could not be given on the basis of religion; it cross the 50% ceiling on quota and it was not backed by report of a BC Commission. Corrective measures were taken on immediate basis and a new BC Commission was constituted which gave its report within six months. The quota was reduced from 5% to 4% by identifying 14 socially, economically and educationally weak castes who were classified as BC-E category. Although this Act too was challenged, a tough battle was fought in the courts and finally, the Supreme Court granted stay on 4% quota for 14 backward castes among Muslims," he informed.

Shabbir Ali explained the difficulties with which the battle for Muslim reservation is being fought. He said about 2.5 lakh poor Muslims students have been getting admission into various professional courses, including MBBS and engineering, every year since 2004 under BC-E category. The reservation policy brought a revolutionary change in the social, educational and economic status of Muslims as poorest-of-poor children became doctors and engineers due to reservation. He exhorted the Muslim youth and intellectuals to feel their responsibilities and join the battle for Muslim reservation.

He also recalled the services of Dr Vizarat Rasool Khan, who had established more than 50 educational institutions from KG to PG, for the educational upliftment of Muslim community. He said the Shadan Group has five medical and 11 engineering colleges, including Asia's only women's medical college.

AIMES Chairman Syed Asif Pasha, Prof Akhtar-ul-Wasay of Jamia Millia, MANUU Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Khaja M Shahid, NALSAR University of Law Vice-Chancellor Faizan Mustafa, MLC Farooq Hussain, Senior IPS officer SA Huda, Dr. Rahimuddin Kamal, Nawab Hashmat Jah Bahadur, Jamia Nizamia rector Syed Akbar Nizamuddin and other eminent personalities addressed the event.