RIYADH, 2 November 2007 — Renowned human rights activist Justice Rajinder Sachar of India will deliver a lecture here on the findings of the “Sachar Committee” that grabbed media attention all over India and in Gulf countries.
The occasion is “Sir Syed Day” being organized by Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association (AMUOBA) of Riyadh on Nov. 15 at Holiday Inn (Minhal) Hotel, where he will be the chief guest. India’s Ambassador M.O.H. Farook will preside over the function. The event has been organized to commemorate Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, founder of the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College in the 19th century, which subsequently became Aligarh Muslim University.
Describing his forthcoming visit as a “significant event,” Dr. Riaz Mehdi, president of AMUOBA, told Arab News that the release of the Sachar Committee report led to a five-fold increase in the recruitment of Muslims by the Central Paramilitary Forces.
Two Central Paramilitary Forces — the Assam Rifles and the Border Security Force (BSF) — also reported a surge in the minority recruitment, ranging from 20 percent in the case of BSF to 23 percent for Assam Rifles this year.
The main thrust of the “Sachar Report,” of which Justice Rajinder Sachar was the author, was to review the social, educational and economic status of Indian Muslims. According to the report, Muslim representation in civil services and in senior positions in public sector undertakings stands at 1.6 percent in Kerala, lower than the Muslim representation in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It is also very low in other states. Many Indian states have set up committees to follow up on the recommendations of the Sachar panel.
According to Dr. Mehdi, AMUOBA (Riyadh chapter) has almost 1,000 members. They observe “Sir Syed Day” every year in honor of the great reformer who spearheaded educational renaissance among the Muslims of India.
