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On September 13, 2007, the Government of Tamil Nadu passed an Ordinance giving the benefits of exclusive reservation in educational institutes and government sector jobs to backward classes among Muslim and Christian communities. It reserved 3.5% of total seats/vacancies to each of the communities. The Ordinance came into effect from September 15th, on the birth anniversary of late C.N.Annadurai, the founder of DMK and the former CM of the State.

The government announcement was welcomed by many Muslim organisations. After all, it has been the principal demand of many of them for years. Some of them also added this is a first step and it should be extended later. They also said the Central government should follow suit.

Very few states in the country provide for reservation for Muslims. Organisations of the Sangh Parivar are vehemently opposed to it. The Judiciary is very reluctant to uphold any such grant. Given this, it was remarkable indeed on the part of the Tamil Nadu government to pass this ordinance.

Tamil Nadu state has reservation to the extent of 69% - which is the highest in India. The Supreme Court is currently hearing a case whether this (69%) is a violation of set upper limit of 50%. The present Tamil Nadu ordinance doesn't increase the reservation percentage (it is still 69). What it has done is to break up the 30% given for Backward Classes (which included Muslim and Christian communities) into three: 23% for Hindu backward classes, 3.5% for Muslim backward classes and 3.5% for Christian backward classes. 20% reservation for Most Backward Classes, 18% reservation for Scheduled Castes and 1% reservation for Scheduled Tribes remains undisturbed. So legally safe. Or is it?

In an extreme scenario if Supreme Court where to decide it should be only 50% in total and not 69%, what would happen? Will the exclusive reservation for the two minority communities go? Will there be proportionate reduction for all communities? Mute questions indeed!

Coming to the impact this reservation will have on the welfare of the Muslim community, we must not forget reservations are largely symbolic acts. Very few people - in actual numbers - draw the benefits. Consider these scenarios: There are about 35 lakh Muslims in Tamil Nadu. Let us estimate the effects of reservation in educational institutes. About 550,000 students (of all the communities) clear the Standard 12th exams every year - of which about 30,000 are Muslim students. Start with Medical seats. There are about 1500 of them in the state (including in private sector hands). How many muslims are going to be benefited? About 50. Take Engineering seats - there are about 60,000 seats that come under Single Window System. How many muslims are going to be benefited? About 2000.

The Ordinance also covers state government jobs - that would become available in the future. The number of people who are going to be benefit here too are few. Also, let us not forget an overwhelmingly majority of jobs are in the hands of private sector. Government employs very few people in comparison.

Hence - let us not go overboard in assessing the impact of reservation. The bigger problems facing the Muslim community would continue to exist - even after this announcement (or any future, similar announcements by the State/Central governments). They are illiteracy, poverty, unemployment and under-employment. To eliminate these ills will take years of ground-work and struggle within the community. Muslims shouldn't forget or ignore that. Muslim organisations shouldn't obfuscate that either.