The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Government urged to set up organisation to uplift the poor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Government urged to set up organisation to uplift the poor

M. Raghuram

BANGALORE: Chairman of the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation Anwar Manippady is in favour of setting up an organisation for the uplift of the poor instead of opting for more minority development corporations.

Reacting to the suggestion made by State Janata Dal (S) president Merajuddin Patel to set up a minority development corporation for Christians, Mr. Manippady told The Hindu that such a move would further compartmentalise communities based on caste, religion and other considerations and defeat the objective of forming a secular society.

He said the backwardness of a particular community or religious group had to be measured in terms of the economic status of the individuals making up the community or group. This would help the administration reach government schemes to those most in need. There were norms to identify economic backwardness, and religion should not be one of them, he said.

Mr. Manippady said he had held a series of meetings in an attempt to find an alternative livelihood for butchers who sell beef. He said this trade had created communal tension in many parts of the State, particularly Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Mysore and Uttara Kannada districts, and butchers needed to be rehabilitated suitably.

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