Bihar Election: Muslims united on issues, divided on party

By TCN Team,

Patna: Muslims, the second majority community in Bihar, are facing same issues whether they live in Patna of 7.76% Muslim population or Purnia where they count for 36.76%. Like other people, their three major issues are BSP=bijli+sadak+pani. And on the very issues they will cast vote in this assembly elections.

Some other important issues they raised are reservation in job and legislatures and Muslim witch-hunting in the name of war on terror.





Though united on issues, the community is divided on which party they think will solve these problems. While some do not hide their liking for Congress some others have made up mind to vote for the ruling JD(U). Interestingly, even as RJD-LJP alliance of Lalu Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan is being projected as main rival to the ruling JD(U)-BJP combine, just one of the people TCN talked to in Patna and Purnia mentioned the former, that too indirectly.

Note: The interviews were taken last month, much before the Ayodhya verdict – Editor.

Three major issues of Muslims

Patna

Md Aslam: Water and electricity are the most important issues in daily life. There are many other issues related to our life but unsolved, like unemployment of our children. They get education and remain jobless.

Md Shahabuddin: No specific issue. Yes, common issues which affect us also like others are garbage on road, shortage of electricity resulting in water crisis. Inflation is high, difficult for daily wagers to cope with. Rate of essentials is going up daily but not our wages. How can we educate our children when school fees are also high.

Abdul Majeed: Water, electricity and job. Though we are 16% we don’t have even 4% job.

Md Jahangeer: Inflation and no good source of income.

Md Inamul Haque: Inflation that is just going northward and killing of innocent Muslim youths in fake encounters in the name of terrorism. Sketches of Muslims with cap and beard are released soon after the blast and Muslims are arrested.



Bihar Assembly [TCN photo: By Mudassir Rizwan]


Purnia

Tanveer Ahmad: No development work for Muslims has been done by government. Only promises were made. In election political parties use Muslims but do not do anything for their welfare.

Shams Qamar: The big problem for me is that Nitish Kumar did not keep his words with Madarsa teachers to solve their problems.

The best party in your view:

Patna

Md Aslam: Difficult to say, we will vote the party which will promise to solve our issues.

Md Shahabuddin: Better party is Congress at this time though inflation has gone up in this regime, yet it is better than other parties, because it is rather clean and takes care of all.

Abdul Majeed: There are so many parties in Bihar. Nitish has done a good job. On the basis of his work he may return to power. On the same basis I will vote him. Congress did not do development work like roads etc in 60 years, Nitish did it in 5 years.

Md Jahangeer: Congress now should come. We have tested all, there is no change, now want again Congress. We have seen it in Jagannath Mishras’ regime. Lalu destroyed Bihar. People had hope from Nitish but he did not stand up to the expectation.

Md Inamul Haque: CPI ML is the best party.

Purnia:

Tanveer Ahmad: We should change party in every election so that they can work for public.

Shams Qamar: The NDA is better alliance because some development works have been done by this government.





Are Muslims returning to Congress?

Patna

Md Aslam: There is mixed response to the party by Muslims. There is a slight rise in inclination to the party. Some people are thinking the party will make a good government.

Md Shahabuddin: Yes, I think Muslims have now more inclination towards Congress.

Abdul Majeed: No, Muslims are not going to Congress. We brought Congress to centre only to remove BJP, otherwise they would have been still waiting. The fight will be between Lalu and Nitishi. Wherever Lalu’s candidate loses people will vote Congress.

Md Jahangeer: Yes, a number of Muslims have now inclination towards Congress, because we faced lot of electricity problems during Ramazan.

Md Inamul Haque: Muslims are not returning to Congress, only rich and nobles are returning to it.

Purnia

Tanveer Ahmad: Congress is the worst party.
Shams Qamar: The party is trying to emerge once again and I hope it will come with better result this time. The hung Assembly is expected this time also.

(Interviews by Manzar Bilal and Mudassir Rizwan, TwoCircles.net)

Lok Sabha Budget Session Report Card: Owaisi hits century

By TCN News,


Congratulations, Mr Asaduddin Owaisi on making a century of questions on the floor of the Lok Sabha during February-May Budget Session 2010. Perhaps this is the first time that a Muslim parliamentarian has asked more than 100 questions in a single session. Well done, Hyderabad MP of Majlise Ittehadul Muslimeen. Third time in a row Owaisi leads Muslim MPs in the report card of floor performance exclusively presented by TCN.

Though cumulatively Muslim Lok Sabha Members have asked far more questions in this session than theirs in some last sessions put together, majority, still have remained silent. Of 30 Muslim Lok Sabha Members, 16 remained silent in the 32-day session spreading over three months with long intervals. The 16 include four Ministers.


The non-speakers include 7 members of Congress, 3 from Trinamool Congress, 2 each from Bahujan Samaj Party and National Conference and 1 each from Muslim League and Janata Dal United.



Among the top performers are Asaduddin Owaisi (102), JM Aaroon Rasheed (64), Shahnawaz Hussain (62), ET Muhammed Basheer (40) and MI Shanavas (40).

What is good is that consistent performers have far improved their own performance, resulting in 430 questions asked by Muslim MPs in the session that started on February 22, 2010 and ended on May 7, 2010. In the Nov-Dec 2009 session the total number of questions asked by them was 167 and only 84 in the July-Aug 2009 session.

Type of Questions

Questions are of three types:-

Starred, Unstarred and Short Notice Questions


A Starred Question is one to which a member desires an oral answer in the House and which is distinguished by an asterisk mark. When a question is answered orally, supplementary questions can be asked thereon. Only 20 questions can be listed for oral answer on a day.

An Unstarred Question: is one which is not called for oral answer in the House and on which no supplementary questions can consequently be asked. To such a question, a written answer is deemed to have been laid on the Table after the Question Hour by the Minister to whom it is addressed. It is printed in the official report of the sitting of the House for which it is put down. Only 230 questions can be listed for written answer on a day.

A Short Notice Question is one which relates to a matter of urgent public importance and can be asked with shorter notice than the period of notice prescribed for an ordinary question. Like a starred question, it is answered orally followed by supplementary questions.

---

Name: Mr. Abdul Mannan Hossain
Age: 57
Constituency: Murshidabad (West Bengal )
Party name: Indian National Congress(INC)

No of days present : 15/32

No. of questions: 0

[The report has been compiled by Mudassir Rizwan, TwoCircles.net Patna Correspondent]

Source : Lok Sabha Website[As updated till 31st May 2010]

Lok Sabha session November-December 2009

Lok Sabha session July - August 2009

Report card: Muslim Rajya Sabha MPs outperform LS counterparts

By TCN News,

New Delhi: Muslim Members of Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament) have again disappointed their constituencies as well as the community as majority of them remained tight-lipped not asking any question during the November-December 2009 Winter Session.

The session ran from November 11 to December 21 with 21 working days. According to official data available by January 2, 2010, of 30 Muslim Members of Lok Sabha 19 did not ask any question. However, once again, Asaduddin Owaisi, lone MP of All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslemeen (AIMIM) from Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) laughed his way to the constituency retaining leadership of Muslim MPs with 41 questions.


This is the second time when TwoCircles.net is presenting the report card on the performance of Muslim MPs in the Parliament – the highest legislative body of the country – before the community and the country. No other media, Muslim or otherwise, has ever presented such report card. That’s why our last report card on July-August 2009 session of Parliament got much accolade from public and created flutter among some Muslim parliamentarians.


During the recent Winter Session, while 19 Muslim Lok Sabha Members did not ask any question, Asaduddin Owaisi asked the most – 41. This despite the fact that he was among the 32 MPs because of whose absence on November 30, 2009 the Question Hour was cancelled. These 32 MPs had questions listed against their name but were absent.


In good performance Owaisi is followed by BJP’s Syed Shahnawaz Hussain (Bhagalpur, Bihar) with 27 questions. Others whose questions touched double figure are J M Aron Rashid of Congress (19), M I Shanavas (Congress) 16, Monazir Hsasan of JD-U (11) and Badruddin Ajmal of AUDF (10).

As the ruling Congress has more Muslim MPs (11) in the present Lok Sabha, the party also has the largest share of ‘onlooker’ MPs (9 of 19 non-performers). Except J M Aron Rashid and M I Shanavas, all other MPs of the party – majority from North India including Asrarul Haq Qasmi and Muhammad Azharuddin, preferred to be silent.


BSP is the second top low performer as all four Muslim MPs of the party did not ask any question. The ranking is shared by Trinamool Congress (3 MPs) and Muslim League (2 MPs) – both parties are partners of the ruling alliance -- who also remained silent.


The session ran for 21 days. There were four Muslim MPs who remained present in the House on all these days but only two of them asked question -- BJP’s Syed Shahnawaz Hussain (21 questions) and Sk Saidul Haq of CPM (9 questions), the other two – Ismail Hussain (Cong) and Shafiqur Rahman Barq (BSP) did not have any question to ask.

The lowest performer in attendance was Mausam Noor of Congress (4 days).

Type of Questions

Questions are of three types:-

Starred, Unstarred and Short Notice Questions

A Starred Question is one to which a member desires an oral answer in the House and which is distinguished by an asterisk mark. When a question is answered orally, supplementary questions can be asked thereon. Only 20 questions can be listed for oral answer on a day.

An Unstarred Question: is one which is not called for oral answer in the House and on which no supplementary questions can consequently be asked. To such a question, a written answer is deemed to have been laid on the Table after the Question Hour by the Minister to whom it is addressed. It is printed in the official report of the sitting of the House for which it is put down. Only 230 questions can be listed for written answer on a day.

A Short Notice Question is one which relates to a matter of urgent public importance and can be asked with shorter notice than the period of notice prescribed for an ordinary question. Like a starred question, it is answered orally followed by supplementary questions.

---

Name: Mr Abdul Wahab Peevee
Age: 59
Conctituency: Kerala
Party name: Muslim League

Questions asked during session Nov-Dec

Full Report

Report card: Majority of Muslim Lok Sabha MPs remain silent, Owaisi again leader

By TCN News,

New Delhi: Muslim Members of Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament) have again disappointed their constituencies as well as the community as majority of them remained tight-lipped not asking any question during the November-December 2009 Winter Session.

The session ran from November 11 to December 21 with 21 working days. According to official data available by January 2, 2010, of 29 Muslim Members of Lok Sabha 18 did not ask any question. However, once again, Asaduddin Owaisi, lone MP of All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslemeen (AIMIM) from Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) laughed his way to the constituency retaining leadership of Muslim MPs with 41 questions.


This is the second time when TwoCircles.net is presenting the report card on the performance of Muslim MPs in the Parliament – the highest legislative body of the country – before the community and the country. No other media, Muslim or otherwise, has ever presented such report card. That’s why our last report card on July-August 2009 session of Parliament got much accolade from public and created flutter among some Muslim parliamentarians.


During the recent Winter Session, while 18 Muslim Lok Sabha Members did not ask any question, Asaduddin Owaisi asked the most – 41. This despite the fact that he was among the 32 MPs because of whose absence on November 30, 2009 the Question Hour was cancelled. These 32 MPs had questions listed against their name but were absent.


In good performance Owaisi is followed by BJP’s Syed Shahnawaz Hussain (Bhagalpur, Bihar) with 27 questions. Others whose questions touched double figure are J M Aron Rashid of Congress (19), M I Shanavas (Congress) 16, Monazir Hsasan of JD-U (11) and Badruddin Ajmal of AUDF (10).

As the ruling Congress has more Muslim MPs (10) in the present Lok Sabha, the party also has the largest share of ‘onlooker’ MPs (8 of 18 non-performers). Except J M Aron Rashid and M I Shanavas, all other MPs of the party – majority from North India including Asrarul Haq Qasmi and Muhammad Azharuddin, preferred to be silent.


BSP is the second top low performer as all four Muslim MPs of the party did not ask any question. The ranking is shared by Trinamool Congress (3 MPs) and Muslim League (2 MPs) – both parties are partners of the ruling alliance -- who also remained silent.


The session ran for 21 days. There were four Muslim MPs who remained present in the House on all these days but only two of them asked question -- BJP’s Syed Shahnawaz Hussain (21 questions) and Sk Saidul Haq of CPM (9 questions), the other two – Ismail Hussain (Cong) and Shafiqur Rahman Barq (BSP) did not have any question to ask.

The lowest performer in attendance was Mausam Noor of Congress (4 days).

Type of Questions

Questions are of three types:-

Starred, Unstarred and Short Notice Questions


A Starred Question is one to which a member desires an oral answer in the House and which is distinguished by an asterisk mark. When a question is answered orally, supplementary questions can be asked thereon. Only 20 questions can be listed for oral answer on a day.

An Unstarred Question: is one which is not called for oral answer in the House and on which no supplementary questions can consequently be asked. To such a question, a written answer is deemed to have been laid on the Table after the Question Hour by the Minister to whom it is addressed. It is printed in the official report of the sitting of the House for which it is put down. Only 230 questions can be listed for written answer on a day.

A Short Notice Question is one which relates to a matter of urgent public importance and can be asked with shorter notice than the period of notice prescribed for an ordinary question. Like a starred question, it is answered orally followed by supplementary questions.

---

Name: Mr. Abdul Mannan Hossain
Age: 57
Constituency: Murshidabad (West Bengal )
Party name: Indian National Congress(INC)

No of days present : 08/21

No. of questions: 0

[The report has been compiled by Mudassir Rizwan of TwoCircles.net Patna Correspondent]

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