Patna: Narendra Modi government is going to conduct caste census. Many reasons are being given behind this. Sangh, allies, opposition and Bihar Legislative Assembly Elections 2025 are being considered important. There is a discussion in political circles that this step has been taken to reduce the issues of Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav. Another thing being said is that is this an attempt to divide the Muslims united in the name of religion? Its real test will be in the Bihar Assembly elections 2025. Political experts believe that the government has taken this step to corner Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav. They say that these leaders will be left with no issue due to the caste census. Another discussion is going on. Some people believe that the government wants to divide the Muslims united on the basis of religion. They say that the caste census will divide the Muslim community into different castes.
Caste Census on the scale of political profit and loss
The unity shown by Muslims across the country after the passing of the Waqf Board Amendment Bill has become a matter of concern for the BJP. Sources say that Narendra Modi and his political advisors want to see the result of the Bihar Assembly elections by dividing Islam into castes through this census. Rashtriya Janata Dal General Secretary Nirala Yadav says that this decision has been taken under the pressure of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav. But, there is a conspiratorial intention behind not taking this decision when this pressure was being built and now the decision to conduct the census on the occasion of Bihar Assembly elections. This intention is to divide the Muslim society along the concept of caste. But, this is not possible as long as RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav are there. This is because after the Waqf Board Amendment Bill, Muslims have lost faith in the NDA government.
Caste system among Muslims is not denied: Danish
Bihar BJP media in-charge Danish Iqbal believes that whoever denies the caste system among Muslims, they want to keep the Muslim society behind. They do not want the Muslim society to move forward on the ladder of development. There is a caste system in the Muslim society. I have also read the works of many Indian Ulemas, whom many of their followers consider great intellectuals. Like- Maulvi Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi and Maulvi Ashraf Ali Farooqui Thanvi. I was surprised to learn that most of them actually supported the notion of caste superiority by birth and issued fatwas about it, which were completely against the Quran. They did this by resorting to a concept called kafa in Arabic, using which they laid down rules about possible marriage alliances between groups they ranked hierarchically.
There is also hierarchy in Muslim society regarding marriages
According to Danish Iqbal, they (Muslim intellectuals) argued that Muslims of Arab origin (Syeds and Sheikhs) are superior to non-Arab or Ajami Muslims, and so while a man who claims Arab origin can marry an Ajami woman, the opposite is not possible. Similarly, they argued, a Pathan Muslim man can marry a Julaha (Ansari), Mansuri (Dhunia), Rayin (Kunjra) or Qureshi (Kasai) woman, but an Ansari, Rayin, Mansuri and Qureshi man cannot marry a Pathan woman because they considered these castes inferior to Pathans. Many of these ulema also believed that it is best to marry within one’s own caste. All this was completely contrary to my understanding of Islam, and reading their writings was a revelation for me. I was surprised to know how many ulema in India have tried to legitimize caste, which they wrongly attribute to Islamic or religious sanction. This is no different from the Hindu case, where religious sanction is given to caste discrimination and oppression
Know how many castes are there in Muslims
- General Muslim includes Pathan, Rizvi, Sheikh, Siddiqui, Khan, Mirza, Kayastha, Sayyed, Bharsaiya and Bharso
- The list of backward castes among Muslims includes Madaria, Nalband, Surjapuri, Ansari and Malik Muslims. Among the backward Muslims, the largest population is of Momin Ansari. The second largest population is of Surjapuri Muslims. The backward castes include Chik Muslims, Kasai, Dafli, Dhuniya, Nat, Pamaria, Bhatia, Bhat and Mehtar.
- The most backward Muslims include Madari, Mishrakar, Fakir, Chudihar, Rain Thakurai, Shershahabadi and Bakho.
- Sikligar, Fakir, Mukeri Gaderi, Kulhaiya, Dhobi, Sekhda, Gaddi and Lalbegi.
- Dalit Muslims include Bhatiyara, Fakir, Shah, Dafli, Nat, Halalkhor, Lalbegi, Banjara, Dhobi, Ranki, Rangrez, Jogi, Mochi, Mukeri, Bakho and Bhisti.
