Jurist Advocates Equal Rights for Castes Among Muslims and Christians

Faizan Mustafa, vice chancellor of Chanakya Law University, asserted that denying affirmative action to castes among Muslims and Christians is discriminatory and against the Constitution. He stated that these castes are worse off than Hindu Dalits, emphasizing the need for equal treatment to prevent religious discrimination.

On Sunday, noted jurist Faizan Mustafa highlighted a pressing issue of constitutional and social injustice. Addressing a symposium organized by 'All India Muslim Mahaz,' Mustafa asserted that denying affirmative action to castes among Muslims and Christians, which are worse off than Hindu Dalits, constitutes religious discrimination.

Mustafa, currently serving as the vice chancellor of Chanakya Law University in Patna, remarked, 'It is true that as per the Constitution, reservations cannot be granted on the basis of religion. But it is also a fact that caste exists among Muslims and Christians too. Some of these castes are worse off than Hindu Dalits.' According to him, excluding these groups from reservation benefits is tantamount to discrimination on religious grounds, contrary to constitutional principles.

The debate gains momentum against the backdrop of the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, which saw an intense campaign by the ruling BJP against extending quotas to minorities in states such as Bihar, Telangana, and Karnataka. The symposium also witnessed the release of a booklet accentuating the dire conditions of lower-caste Muslims in Bihar, as revealed by a caste survey conducted by the Nitish Kumar government.

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