India's Muslims demand inclusive growth
At a meeting organised in Kashmir earlier this week, Muslims in India voiced their concerns and needs. The common consensus is that in order to achieve the millennium development goals, the government needs to create a platform for more inclusive growth.
Srinagar: A meeting was held recently to consult the status of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with Muslims in Kashmir, revealing how far behind the Indian government is on meeting the development targets set in 2000.
Organised by "Better World", a Kashmir based NGO, in collaboration with "Tehreek-e- Pasmandah Muslim Samaj" and the "National Confederation of Dalit Organisations" (NADCOR) at the Broadway Hotel, M.A.Road, Srinagar, the consultation offered a unique opportunity for reflection and planning around these Goals to eradicate poverty and inequality.
"It is clear that our Government needs pay special attention to the Muslim community if it has to achieve the MDGs,' said Ashok Bharti of NADCOR and the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) in India.
"The state of Jammu and Kashmir also needs to take special action on targets like improving the female literacy rate and compiling data on critical indicators like maternal and infant mortality rates," he added.
Forty people from different organisations and government departments attended the meeting. They concluded that the government should be more committed and transparent on its MDG activities and that civil society needs to play a bigger support role in raising awareness, generating status reports and promoting an enabling environment to achieve the MDGs.
The meeting discussed the eight MDGs agreed and signed by 198 countries, including India in 2000. It was found that the status of Muslim community in India is far behind the targets as decided and signed by the Government.
For further information contact:
Ashok Bharti, National Confederation of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR)
M-3/22, Model Town-III, Delhi 110009 India
Telephone: +91-11-27419002 Fax: +91-11-27442744
Website: www.nacdor.org
Ciara O'Sullivan, Media Coordinator, Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) Cell: + 34 679 594 809
Ciara.osullivan@whiteband.org
www.whiteband.org
