I was a part of a discussion on the Sachar committee’s report on the pathetic plight of the Indian Muslims. One of the thinker announced “you see we are 15 percent of India’s population… the other corrected him.. NO! We are 20 percent…. There was a hot disagreement on the percentage of the Muslim population in India, till a wise man sitting in the corner interrupted and silenced all the trumpets of boast. He said… Gentlemen allow me to ask you a simple question.. Do the Muslims own 15 percent of Hospitals and educational Institutions in India.. or 20 percent ?.. There was an embarrassing silence.
It is not important how many we are but it is important how strong we are. The strength of a community is not judged by its numbers but by its contribution to the society they dwell in. When you run huge hospitals and School-Colleges, the nation is under the heavy obligation of your generosity and nobody dares to challenge your stake in Nation building. People look up to you for advices in important matters….
In Mumbai many intellectual Muslims claim that they compose around 20 percent of the island’s population… but when I take a comparative analysis of social welfare schemes run by other communities it shocks me.
The Jain community of Mumbai are little lesser than the Muslims but they run hundreds of charity hospitals and polyclinics in suburbs. The Bohras are only ten percent of Mumbai’s Muslim Population but the hospital they run is one of the best in the city. The Prince Aly Khan Hospital of Khojas has been awarded for being one of the best managed hospitals in Mumbai. The Marwaris of Mumbai run Jaslok, Hinduja as well The Bombay Hospital and all of these have international reputation. The Christians too are a micro minority as compared to the overall Indian Population but just go through the names of the leading educational Institutions in any city or town of India and you will find St Peters,.. Don Boscos…St. Xaviers…Mount Mary…..
As Shaikh Ahmed Deedat says: We ruled this country for 800 years but focused on building the TajMahals, the Shalimar Gardens, the Kutub Minaars….. where as the British ruled the same country for just 200 years and there is not a city without a school or college or a missionary hospital……Are we still following the same trend?
After all aren’t we Muslims suppose to lead in all these welfare activities as per the title given by the Qur’an “ Khairul Ummah.. The Best of the People..”
Author: Nisaar Nadiadwala writes and speaks on socio-educational issues from Islamic perspective. He can be reached at nisaar_yusuf@yahoo.com