Why Indian Muslim Politics is about to Change Forever

Bangalore: Muslim political parties are going to be the deciders of the defining trend of the current decade and this very fact will change the Indian politics forever. Political fates were decided by caste-based parties - including OBCs and Dalits - branching out from various mainstream political parties for the last 30 years. The second decade of the 21^st century will see Muslim parties seeking to discover their own power of agency, writes Jagannathan of Firstpost.

According to recent reports, Muslims in Maharashtra will announce the formation of a new political party on 1^st of May the ideology of which is would not just be service to the community. “Muslims count 20-30 percent in over 60 districts and in a few districts they are even around 40 percent. Yet, there are just 11 Muslim MLAs in the current assembly. Our interaction with masses in 21 districts so far gives us hope that an alternative political platform in the state is possible,” a member of the still-unnamed Muslim party’s core committee was quoted as saying in a Times of India report.

This development is not an isolated initiative but is the result of a general feeling among the Muslim community that most political parties have stopped at symbolism in supporting their causes, Jagannathan writes. The rise of Peace Party of India in UP winning four seats in the recent assembly elections, Assam’s All-India United Democratic Front (AUDF) that won 18 assembly seats, Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam that won 2 seats etc are the outcome of the increased political ambition of the community. The traditional Muslim political parties are growing strong in their influence such as the Indian Union Muslim League (in Kerala), which has got 5 Ministers in the 21-member cabinet. The Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen in Hyderabad holds a strong position in the regional power structure and will be than a handful in that new state if Telangana is formed.

Surprisingly, it took so long for the Indian Muslims to realize the fact that no political party really gives them the kind of real representation and share of power despite their huge share of the national population (around 14 percent), says the Firstpost article.