HYDERABAD: The plan mooted by the state government to create a non-existing caste system among the Muslims and have about 90 per cent of the total 80 lakh of them declared BC was reportedly opposed by a large section of the community leaders.
The aides of chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy recently met a group of Muslim political, social and religious leaders in Hyderabad to get a feedback on the issue and were disappointed to note that none of them said it would be wise to split the community.
According to some analysts, there have been instances where the Muslims and Buddhists have been taken as single groups such as in Karnataka and declared backward.
The Tamil Nadu GO No.1564 of July 30, 1985 has used terms such as Syeds and Sheikhs for declaring the Muslims backward. But these and other similar terms do not denote a caste, which is essentially categorised on the basis of one's traditional occupation and a set of rituals. The government has also reactivated Backward Classes Commission, which is going into its second round of hearing on Muslims soon.
The sources believe that the data collected by the chief minister's men would be incorporated in the commission's report in support of declaring the Muslims backwards.
The report could also be presented to the High Court as a comprehensive work undertaken at its instance on the subject.
