Reform must come from within Muslim community: Najma Heptullah

What were the challenges you faced before you took over the ministry?
People had said that this (minority affairs) ministry will be removed when Modi comes to power. In the budget, however, our allocation was increased, while budget for many other ministries was curtailed. All initiatives by our ministry were approved. We have mainly six minority communities and each has different problems. Since Muslims are more in number, their problems are also in plenty. There is an education backlog of 64 years.

Could you tell us about your ministry's major initiatives so far.
The Prime Minister's vision is 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas'. We are working on all fronts – extending education facilities, skill training, coaching centres for medical, engineering and UPSC exams, scholarships, entrepreneurship training and other supportive schemes – to make Muslims stand on their own feet. Under the PM Jan Dhan Yojna, many Muslims living below the poverty line have opened their accounts. Skill India programme also cover Muslims. Then there are Mudra banks to disburse loans to the poor. For those who dropped out of schools, we provide bridge courses, so that they could get jobs in organised sector. Girls are being coached for various jobs such as those of security guard, beautician, logistic chain management and so on. The PM said he wants to see Madrassa students with Quran in one hand and computer in the other. Our Nayi Manzil programme gives training to Madrassa kids.

Do you support reservation for the community?
I am not for or against reservation. That is a policy matter. I live in reality and believe in inclusive development. With all the available schemes and resources, I am working towards empowerment of Muslims, so that they could compete with others with self-respect.

Don't you think Madrassa students should be brought into the mainstream, so that they can explore all the opportunities in the world, rather than training them to become electricians, beauticians etc.? Many Muslim countries have shut down Madrassas for the same reason. 

This is just the beginning. Beside, society needs all kinds of people. People with these skills are needed the most. Moreover, we must not think that an electrician is the person who goes from house to house repairing wires. With the help of skill-based training and government certification, youngsters can work in MNCs, go to gulf countries or wherever they get better opportunities.

Vice-President Hamid Ansari had recently remarked that security, education and empowerment in decision making were the principal problems confronting India's Muslims. They cast aspersions on the BJP-led government's functioning. How do you view his statement?
I understand his pain. He merely pointed out the 60 years of discrimination against Muslims under the Congress regime. He is admitting that the Congress worked for vote-bank politics. The community was kept backward deliberately just to keep the vote bank intact. If you only withdraw and never invest, any bank will go bankrupt. Ansari ji, in fact, appreciated PM's vision.

The Bhartiya Mahila Muslim Andolan, in a recent survey, found that 92 per cent of Muslim women want triple talaq tradition to be banned. What is your view?
Reforms must come from within the community, not from the government. 

Women are seeking this reform for years but men are not ready. What is the way forward then?
When men feel the need, only then the provision can be removed. I am a scientist and believe that production happens through cooperation, not confrontation.

Do you support the Common Civil Code?
I am nobody. The community should demand the Common Civil Code. It can't be imposed.

What happened to the Amitabh Kundu report, which revealed that the socio-economic condition of Muslims didn't change even after the Sachar committee report?
Both the Sachar and Kundu committees were constituted by the Congress-led government and they both exposed how they (Congress) did nothing for the Muslim community. We are following our six-point agenda for Muslims to bring them to the mainstream, as we had promised before the polls. Within two years, as many as 1.5-2 lakh youths will be trained and employed.