The coming islamic partition of India and what can be salvaged

[G.Subramaniam]

epw



Further, high Muslim representation

in ULBs is discernible in all subregions of

the state. The highest Muslim representation

(53.5%) is in Ruhelkhand where

Muslims account for 34% of the population.

This is followed by Awadh, west UP,

east UP and north-east UP. Even in

Bundelkhand with only 6.69% and the

Doab with 11.2% Muslim population, respectively,

Muslims constitute 8.86%

and 17.1%, respectively (Table 1).

Muslims are over-represented in 33

districts in the post of the president in

the municipalities and urban panchayats,

i e, they have won over 20% of the executive

positions here. In four districts –

Bijnor, Behraich, Siddharthnagar and

Mau – Muslims won almost all seats for

presidents in the municipalities. Similarly,

in Bijnor, Moradabad, Ambedkarnagar and

Mirzapur districts, all urban panchayat

presidents are Muslims. Muslims have

also won more than 20% of seats in six

out of the 12 municipal corporations, in

136 out of the total of 194 municipalities

and in 229 out of the total of 423 urban

panchayats. Muslims won over 60%

seats in 30 municipalities and 64 urban

panchayats. In Saharanpur district, with

39% Muslim population, 75% of the

municipality presidents are Muslims,

while their share of urban panchayat

presidents is 67%. With a 41.71% Muslim

population, the district of Bijnor has

92% presidents and 63% members of

municipalities who are Muslims while

among the urban panchayats, all the

presidents are Muslims who also have

74% of the seats.1

Many nagar palikas have elected

an overwhelming number of Muslim

members. A few illustrations follow:

Kakrala in Badayun district and Mubarakpur

in Azamgarh district, both have

22 out of a total of 25 members who are

Muslims. In Laharpur of Sitapur district

20 out of the 25 members and in Tanda

of Ambedkarnagar district 17 out of the

25 members are Muslims.