Congress president Sonia Gandhi's presence at the Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind rally in New Delhi goes to prove that politicians and Muslims are both still in the clutches of the ulema. Gandhi harped on issues like quotas and a model 'nikahnama' that have no bearing for ordinary Muslims. This is nothing but a ploy by the Congress to appease the Muslim vote bank.

Gandhi is claiming that the party has tried to fulfil its promises to the community and meet Muslim expectations. This shows that there is a dichotomy in her words and deed. Today, the razed Babri mosque, Muslim personal law, divorce and Urdu are not burning issues for Muslims

Afflicted by educational backwardness, administrative apathy and political expediency, the Muslim community in India has been courted by almost all the politicians but mostly from their own fold. After being appeased by the Congress for over four decades and taken for a ride by the likes of Mulayams, Laloos, Sikandar Bakhts, Mayavatis, Shahi Imams, Syed Shahabuddins, Ghulam Nabi Azads and Salman Khurshids (the list is long), Indian Muslims are a disillusioned and disjointed lot.

If Gandhi is really interested in the uplift of Muslims, the need of the hour is for her party to vigorously support social reforms within the community, promote literacy and education, seek gender equality in family and inheritance laws, enhance girl-child education and create opportunities for Muslims so that they empower themselves with education and new skills.

Gandhi's support to the new 'nikahnama' to appease Muslims cannot help as Muslim women are still battling issues related to marriage, divorce, inheritance, maintenance and custody of children. Gandhi hardly uttered a word in support of the Muslim women. Muslim fundamentalists all over the world are trying to make Muslim women faceless, voiceless and nameless.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), whose model 'nikahnama' Gandhi has supported, is a grouping whose members are incapable of taking a unanimous decision. The board members dictate terms and espouse views on all issues related to their community. Negative statements attributed to AIMPLB are taken seriously. The truth is that the board does not govern an average Muslim and what the board says is a non-issue for him.

It has been seen over the years that the rabble-rousing Muslim representatives have sunk deeper and deeper into vote bank calculations while those they seek to represent have remained backward. They have never highlighted the real issues of Muslims, rather harped on the ones that suited their interests - in the manner of Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

As an Indian Muslim, I can vouch that the Muslim leadership has failed to understand the aspirations of its youth, its striving for excellence and yearning for an enlightened future. A desire to compete rather than grovel and grope for quotas and special favours, passion for modern education, questioning the clergy and coming out of the veil and ghettos, are now some of the altered ground realities for young Muslims who are disillusioned by their rudderless leaders.

Owing to their lethargic approach, Muslim institutions like madrasas and Urdu medium schools have been dying for want of care. No Muslim leader has made any devoted effort to rejuvenate and modernise them.

As an Indian Muslim, I want the minorities to have an honourable place in the society by not seeking charity in the form of quotas, and accept the challenges of competitive life.

In view of their past contribution to the nation be it in sports, arts, literature, architecture, cultural heritage or freedom struggle, Muslims must ask themselves what they can give to the nation and not just vice versa.

It is high time Muslims in India understand that their existence is linked with that of Hindus and they can't separate themselves by thinking of living in their own outdated ghettos on the pretext of saving their religious identity. Befriending Hindus and striving for understanding will be the right approach.

Muslims must now develop an alternate leadership that, in contrast to the mullahs, can feel the pulse of the real problems of Muslims in a religiously pluralistic and multi-cultural society. Such leadership must end political tokenism and let Muslims have their due.

(The author is a commentator on social, educational and religious issues. He can be reached at firozbakht@rediffmail.com)