Articles by Moin Shakir

Indian Political System Moin Shakir The support extended by large sections of the Muslims, the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes to Indira Gandhi has generally been acknowledged to have contributed significantly to her victory in the recent Lok Sabha polls. But contrary to popular impression, the votes of these sections are not always purchased by 'contractors' and delivered, at a price, to the political aspirant; the voting pattern of these minority communities is determined by their limited perception of certain concrete situations and issues

which the British had attempted to prune and curb into constitutional order but which continually broke out in a tropical exuberance of growth. Sympathetic commentators like Morris- Jones argued that, under the unfamiliar appearance of things, familiar political virtues like competition and stability could be discerned. Less sympathetic observers prophsied imminent collapse. In both cases the country was rated according to Western standards, and political development, stability and the establishment of 'legitimate' government were considered the most important needs of the country. Moreover, the presence or absence of these qualities was judged by fairly simple criteria.

Democracy and Muslim Education Moin Shakir Education of a National Minority: A Case Study of Indian Muslims by Krishna Dev Sharma; Kalamkar Prakashan, New Delhi, 1978; pp