Mumbai, May 23 (IANS): Nearly two-thirds of the non-Muslim candidates secured entry-level as well as experience-level jobs at a fair organised by the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) and Khidmat Organisation here on Saturday, an organiser said.
Around 1,100 young and experienced job aspirants, along with 20 big and small companies including banks, took part in the day-long event in Andheri.
The job fair was organised through the efforts of local municipal corporator Mohsin Haider, who is also chairman of the Khidmat Organisation.
"By this evening (Saturday), 285 applicants secured offer letters from their employers of which nearly 200 are non-Muslims. Another 371 have been short-listed for further evaluation for their jobs. The ratio of male-female aspirants and those selected stood at around 50-50," AMP general secretary Syed Najeeb told IANS.
The development came close on the heels of a leading diamond export firm allegedly refusing a job to a Muslim MBA on religious grounds.
The Indian Union Muslim League and the All India Milli Council have, meanwhile, decided to launch 'Gandhigiri' to counter the development by offering jobs to 10 Hindus for every Muslim candidate rejected henceforth.
AMP secretary Soheb Selia said the organisers came in for praise from the participating companies, government officials present on the occasion and former union minister Gurudas Kamat who was the guest of honour, for the systematic manner in which the entire exercise was conducted.
"In fact, we had made it clear in our banners and publicity material that the job fair was open to all, irrespective of caste, religion, or gender, since Mumbai is a cosmopolitan city. The response has been overwhelming," Selia said.
Najeeb said the job fair saw entry-level and experienced job vacancies filled for sales, marketing, back office, administration and other departments of a wide variety of companies and banks at a single location.
Buoyed by the response, the AMP and Khidmat Organisation plan to make it a state and national-level event with participation of many more candidates and employers soon.