AIMIM’S ACHIEVEMENTS: ALL INDIA MAJLIS-E-ITTEHADUL MUSLIMEEN (AIMIM), which was revived in 1958, has been striving, all these years, to bring Muslim community on to a common platform, with the avowed objective of promoting their socio- economic and educational development and securing social, cultural, linguistic, religious, economic and political rights not only for Muslims but also for other underprivileged sections such as Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs and other religious minorities. Serving the people for almost six decades now, AIMIM has a long record of achievements to its credit. The Party has been waging struggles, conducting campaigns, organizing public meetings and lobbying with the governments to secure for the minorities their rights and to get benefits for them on par with other communities, namely, Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs. AIMIM has been exerting pressure on the successive governments in Andhra Pradesh and at the Centre to mete out justice and equity to the minorities in the State and the country. Right from Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, the first Chief Minister of (united) Andhra Pradesh to the last one, N Kiran Kumar Reddy, AIMIM, as a political party representing the hopes and aspirations of Muslim community and other under- privileged communities, lobbied with all the 16 successive CMs to deliver on their promises to the minorities, particularly Muslims. Many a time, the successive governments listened to AIMIM leadership and conceded most of their demands. At the Centre, successive Prime Ministers from Indira Gandhi to Dr Manmohan Singh respected AIMIM leadership and responded positively to their demands. CMs & PMs RESPOND TO AIMIM DEMANDS: AIMIM succeeded in compelling the successive governments to fulfil their constitutional obligations towards the minorities and to initiate measures for the protection of their linguistic, cultural and religious rights and for their educational, economic and social upliftment. AIMIM has also been working for the empowerment of minorities by participating in elections from the local municipal bodies to the Parliament. Apart from organizing public meetings on current affairs throughout the year, AIMIM has been creating awareness among Muslim masses on issues concerning them and for voicing their demands for socio-economic development and welfare. AIMIM has also been using various elected fora— right from municipal councils to the State Legislature (Assembly & Council) and the Parliament (Lok Sabha) to voice the grievances and demands of Muslim community and other under-privileged sections of the society. SALAR-E-MILLAT VOICED MINORITY CONCERNS: Countless speeches made by Salar-e-Millat Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi in the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha, spanning an uninterrupted presence of 44 years in the elected bodies reflected the perceptions and feelings of Muslim community in particular and the people of the State in general on various issues confronting them. Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbar Uddin Owaisi have continued this illustrious tradition and emerged as the voice of Muslim community and other under-privileged sections through their speeches. They have been highlighting the problems confronting the State and different sections of the people, irrespective of caste, language and community. After making his mark as a brilliant legislator and AIMIM Floor Leader for 10 years, Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi has shown his mettle as a seasoned parliamentarian in the last one decade. Akbar Uddin Owaisi, as AIMIM floor leader in the State Assembly from 2004 onwards, has proved to be a powerful legislator since 1999. He has been addressing public meetings from his teenage and is known as a fiery orator. Thanks to the leadership provided by AIMIM to Muslim community and other under-privileged sections, Andhra Pradesh became a pioneer in setting up institutions and launching schemes for the minorities, particularly Muslims. Except for the Wakf Board, which was established in January 1955, all other minority bodies came into being, owing to strong lobbying by AIMIM. URDU AS SECOND OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: In 1966, AP Official Language Act was enacted, inter alia, providing for use of Urdu, in addition to Telugu, as the official language of Andhra Pradesh. This was one of the demands of AIMIM which reasoned that Urdu, which was the official language of erstwhile Hyderabad State under the Nizams till September 1948, should be accorded its rightful place as second official language since Telugu has been chosen as the first official language of Andhra Pradesh. The responsibility of overseeing the implementation of Urdu as the second official language was entrusted to AP Official Language Commission, which has one Urdu-speaking member to monitor this aspect. URDU ACADEMY: When AIMIM demanded that effective steps be taken for the promotion and preservation of Urdu language, the State Government established the Urdu Academy of AP in 1975, with three regional centres at Vijayawada, Kurnool and Nizamabad, to preserve and promote Urdu language and literature in the State. Thus, AP became the first State in the country to constitute the Urdu Academy, which is mandated to take up schemes for promotion and preservation of Urdu language through financial assistance to Urdu libraries, assistance for translation of books of other languages into Urdu, publication of Urdu journal, and awarding of best students and best teachers awards. For providing vocational training in Urdu computer education, the Urdu Academy opened 85 Urdu computer training centres across Andhra Pradesh for imparting coaching to unemployed Muslim youth. Thousands of Muslim youth and girls have been trained at these centres so far. The State Government also started a scheme for construction of Urdu-Ghar-cum-Shadikhanas (Urdu centres and marriage halls) at various district headquarters and mandal towns. URDU NOTIFIED IN 15 DISTRICTS: After AIMIM launched ‘Save Urdu Movement’ (Urdu Bachao Tahreek) in mid- 1980s, the State Government issued notifications for implementation of Urdu as second official language in various districts. Urdu was notified as second official language in as many as 15 districts out of 23 in undivided AP. Also, due to AIMIM’s efforts, the Government initiated measures to strengthen Urdu medium schools at primary, upper primary and secondary levels by recruiting teachers and constructing school buildings. Urdu junior and degree colleges were opened in Hyderabad and other places. Quli Qutub Shah Polytechnic was set up exclusively for youth of Old City of Hyderabad. SCHOLARSHIP AND FEES REIMBURSEMENT SCHEMES: Incidentally, Scholarship scheme for minority students was started for the first time in Andhra Pradesh in 1994. Subsequently, in 2006-07, the State Government revamped pre- and post-matric scholarship schemes and introduced fees reimbursement scheme for post-matric courses for minority students on par with Backward Class students. The rates of scholarships for minority students were also enhanced on par with the BCs. Urdu Medium students were also covered under the pre- and post-matric and fees reimbursement schemes on par with minority students studying through English and Telugu media of instruction. Emulating the scholarship schemes for minority students in Andhra Pradesh, the Central Government also introduced pre- and post-matric scholarship and merit- cum-means scholarship schemes for minorities during 2007-08, with specific targets set for the States based on the proportion of minorities to total population. The Central scholarship rates are higher than those of the State scholarships both at pre-matric and post-matric levels. The Scholarship schemes of both the State Government and the Central Government have become immensely popular and cover 50 percent of the 16 lakh Muslim students enrolled in 15,000 schools and 8,000 colleges across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. All those minority students whose family income is less than Rs one lakh per annum are eligible for the pre-matric and post-matric scholarship and fees reimbursement schemes of the State Government. However, the eligibility is Rs two lakhs family income ceiling for post-matric scholarships and Rs one lakh for pre-matric scholarships of the Central Government. HOSTELS AND RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS: When AIMIM demanded that minorities should enjoy all facilities on par with other communities, the State Government opened 10 pre-matric hostels and 18 post-matric hostels for minority boys and girls and 12 English-medium residential schools for minorities in minority-dominated districts across the State. The hostellers and students are provided free education and boarding and lodging by the Government. RECRUITMENT OF URDU TEACHERS: On the demand of AIMIM, the State Government took up recruitment of Urdu language and subject teachers through the District Selection Committees (DSCs), which were constituted every year for conducting recruitment tests and selecting the teachers for all government schools. Hundreds of Urdu language pundits and subject teachers have been selected through the DSCs so far. RESERVATIONS FOR BACKWARD MUSLIM GROUPS: On the eve of 2004 elections, AIMIM demanded that the main parties in the State should announce their commitment for reservations for Muslims in professional courses and public employment. The Congress responded by promising 5 percent quota for Muslims in its election manifesto. Telugu Desam Party followed suit by promising 3 percent quota for Muslims. After the Congress