Hard Working: The Only Option

up by him. The eleventh of these fourteen points was that in the government services in India the proportion of Muslims would always be maintained in direct ratio to their population. This proposal was made sixty five years ago. By conceding this demand the Indian leadership could have averted the division of the country. Yet it tolerated the division rather than accept the principle of reservation for the Muslims. Now what further power do the present Muslims possess to put pressure upon the Indian rulers to accede to a principle already rejected on the basis of the Constitution. History shows that, in reality, this demand is not going to be met in this country. Basing the construction of one’s life on something which is beyond reach is like constructing castles in the air, such as can never come into existence in this world of cause and effect. Even supposing that the impossible were to become the possible, that is, Muslims were provided reservations according to the ratio of the population, the actual goal of removing the Muslims’ backwardness would still not be attained. The circulation of wealth in India through government services is only about five per cent of the national wealth. And now, when the public sector is on the way out, being gradually reduced in terms of a more liberal economy, the actual number of Muslims employed in government service would further decrease. In such a situation, if the Muslims’ progress were to be bound by the supposed reservation, then even after having secured it, the problem of their backwardness would not be solved: out of 12 crore (120 million) Muslims hardly one per cent would earn their livelihood through government service. Then what would happen to the rest of the Muslim population? And if 99 per cent of the Muslims have to seek an alternative