Bhopal Muslims complain of irregularities in Census, memo to Patil

Bhopal, February 19 (Pervez Bari): Census enumerators in Bhopal in Muslim dominated localities are indulging in irregularities and behaving irresponsibly while making entries in Census forms in a planned conspiracy. This is being done to harm the interests of the Muslim community and deprive it from availing the benefits of the government schemes that would be formulated on the basis of information provided by the Census 2011.
This has been alleged by Mohammad Riyaz Khan, president Akhil Bharatiya Muslim Sangh, (ABMS), in a memorandum to the President of India Mrs. Pratibha Patil. He has requested her to use her good offices to immediately instruct the Union Government and the Madhya Pradesh Government to order cessation of the census work in the Muslim localities n Bhopal. He charged that enumerators under the instruction from some hidden hands are making entries in the forms with pencils and getting it signed by the people who are being enumerated. This is being done on the pretext that later the final entries will be made with ink pen in good handwriting. Thus, the memorandum said, this act has posed serious doubts in the minds of the Muslims who fear that the final entries would be changed to suit the forces that are inimical to the interests of the Muslim community. The act in itself poses questions on the reliability of the information entered in the forms. In some cases the enumerators have entered mother tongue as Hindi language of Urdu speaking Muslims even without taking the trouble of asking the concerned person who is semi-illiterate or totally illiterate. All this smells of some well planned conspiracy in the counting of heads of Muslims, Mr. Khan said.
The memorandum pointed out that it has been officially mandated under the Census 2011 rules to make the entries in the Census forms with blue ink dot pens. However, the enumerators in Bhopal are violating this directive with impunity.
Mr. Khan has appealed the President Mrs. Patil to get the enumeration work suspended forthwith and order probe to cross-check the entries made so far. Those found indulging in irregularities should be penalized and as such a directive to this effect may be send to the Madhya Pradesh Government, the memorandum said.
A copy of this ABMS memorandum has also been send through fax to the Prime Minister of India , Union Home Minister and Union Minister for Welfare of Minorities for necessary action. It may be mentioned here that prior to sending the memorandum to the dignitaries, Mr. Khan had lodged complaint with the Census officials but no action has been taken in this regard. (pervezbari@eth.net)