Patna: Congress leader Ali Anwar Ansari said Rahul Gandhi’s social justice politics holds no meaning without Pasmanda Muslims. Ansari heads the All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz and earlier served as a Rajya Sabha member.
Ansari joined the Congress shortly before the Bihar Assembly elections and urged secular parties to work for backward Muslims rather than treating votes as assured. He stressed focused political action over symbolic outreach.
Speaking on the party’s approach, Ansari said Rahul Gandhi spoke of social justice with EBCs, OBCs, Dalits and Muslims at the core. He expressed disappointment over the Bihar results and pointed to upcoming Assembly polls in five states, including West Bengal.
The Bihar election held in November last year ended with a landslide win for the NDA over the Mahagathbandhan, which included the Congress. Ansari urged the Congress to move beyond Hindu Muslim polarisation and communal politics.
According to Ansari, the Pasmanda movement offers a way to counter Muslim communalism. He said party leadership referred to Pasmanda Muslims once or twice with no follow up. He called for a dedicated Pasmanda cell or a combined EBC Pasmanda cell within the party.
Ansari cited the Sachchar Committee and the Rangnath Mishra Commission, both of which endorsed recognition of Pasmanda communities. He said Hindu society recognises EBC groups and Muslim society holds Pasmanda groups on similar lines. He referred to the Bihar caste based survey, which identified 10.5 percent Muslim EBCs, also known as Pasmanda.
Ansari plans a series of AIPMM meetings to press these demands. More than a dozen EBC, Dalit and Muslim leaders joined the Congress during Rahul Gandhi’s Samvidhan Bachao meetings in Patna ahead of the Bihar polls.
