The Hindu : National : Secular forces should remain united, says Buddhadeb

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 06, 2008
ePaper

National

National

Secular forces should remain united, says Buddhadeb

Staff Reporter

Criticises propaganda against Left Front government

Kolkata: Secular forces have to remain united in the face of communal divisive forces that threaten society, the West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said here on Saturday.

“There is a propaganda going on that the Left Front government will take away land from the Muslims to set up industry,” he said. “All these are efforts to weaken and destroy our unity,” he said.

Mr. Bhattacharjee was speaking at a Communist Party of India (Marxist) central convention on minorities’ welfare and the party’s responsibility towards them.

Education, greater employment opportunities and trade and commerce were essential for the uplift of Muslims in society, Mr. Bhattacharjee said. Modernisation of madrassa education was also necessary as the students needed to study subjects like English and Mathematics to compete with other classes in society, he said.

While the Centre had not accepted the State’s recommendation for the inclusion of a separate sub-plan for Muslims in the Eleventh Five Year Plan, West Bengal would go ahead with its own, he said. It would take the form of Special Action Programme for Minorities that would focus on infrastructure development and programmes for employment opportunities.

Mr. Bhattacharjee said reservation for minorities could not be regarded as a solution as it only led to the creation of a creamy layer who benefited from it.

Pointing out that it was necessary to undertake programmes to bridge the gap between minorities and the rest of society, he said that the Indian Statistical Institute at Kolkata was in the process of conducting a survey to gauge the real status of Muslims. It has already submitted the report of a pilot project conducted in North 24 Parganas district.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National