Pasmanda and Dalit Muslims: A Discussion on Reservation and Representation

Abstract

In recent times, discussions about Pasmanda Muslims have become prominent. So it is necessary to present a study about Pasmanda Muslims, their socio-political status, and their demands for reservation. As the studies suggest, Muslim society is divided into three sections on caste lines. The three-section of the Muslim community are Ashraf, Ajlaf, and Arzal. The Ajlaf and Arzal castes are called Pasmanda and Dalit Muslims. Pasmanda and Dalit Muslims are vulnerable, marginalised, uneducated, and belong to the most backward section of Indian society. Pasmanda and Dalit Muslims are facing a deficit because of the domination of the Ashrafs. They are socially marginalised and politically under-represented. Pasmanda and Dalit Muslims are at the receiving end, facing discrimination and political negligence. This paper primarily discusses Pasmanda Muslims' demand for separate space in the broad OBC category and Dalit Muslim's exclusion from the reservation of the Scheduled Castes category. This paper's conceptual standpoint is to justify Dalit Muslims being included in the Scheduled Caste reservation, which is unanimously a prerequisite for social justice. Though the current reservation system (OBC) covers Pasmanda Muslims and Dalit Muslims within its ambit, it has never proved to be an emancipator in ensuring socio-economic mobility and political representation. Hence, a necessary exploration is needed.