Muslims grow poorer in Telangana

NEW DELHI: Muslims in general may be opposed to the creation of a separate Telangana state but analysis of region-wise employment figures for Andhra Pradesh shows that in the 10 districts of Telangana region, Muslims and OBCs have suffered the highest loss of Rs 41.50 in rural per capita income between 1993-94 and 2004-05. On the higher education front, the community remains the most backward in urban areas, with the absolute change being less than even SC/STs and OBCs, an analysis done by Sachar committee member secretary and NCAER chief economist Abusaleh Shariff showed. Shariff recently presented the findings to Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy. The per capita rural income of Muslims and OBCs went down by Rs 4.10 in Rayalaseema between 1993-94 and 2004-05 and increased by Rs 57.10 in coastal Andhra. On the other hand, high caste Hindus in coastal Andhra suffered a per capita income loss of Rs 51.50 in rural areas while SC/STs saw a jump of Rs 71.60. In urban areas of the state, Muslims make only 4.2% of employees in the formal sector against 40.9% of high caste Hindus, 39.1% OBCs and 15.8% SC/STs. In rural areas, only 4.5% of the workforce in the formal sector are Muslims against 17.9% high caste Hindus, 28.5% SC/STs and 48% OBCs. The Muslim higher education figures rose by less than 2% between 2004-05 and 2009-10, against an increase of more than 12% for Hindu general category students, nearly 8% for Hindu OBCs, 2% each for SCs and STs. The figures for Muslims in the state, in fact, mimic the community's status in the all-India scheme of higher education where it registered a similar rise. Literacy figures for the community which showed an increase of 13-14% lag behind that for Hindu general category students who showed a leap of 18% but is better than Hindu SCs and STs.
 On the matric front, Muslims OBCs in urban areas showed a jump of 11% and Muslim general category students were up by 8%. The figures for SCs was 13% and that for STs 14%. Shariff said the very nature of investment in higher education was such that benefits to the excluded communities was very little and even new investment would help only those who already had the right opportunities or students from other states. "Affirmative policies are required to change this situation," he said.