|
Popular Front of India demands
Sub-Plan for Muslims to be included in 11th Five-Year-Plan
Bhopal, December 21 (Pervez Bari): The National Executive Committee
meeting of Popular Front of India, (PFI), has urged the Government of
India and its Planning Commission to include a specific Sub-Plan for
Muslims in Eleventh Five Year Plan. The draft plan proposal as submitted
by the Planning Commission before the National Development Council
meeting for approval is unacceptable to Muslims who constitute India’s
15 per cent strong population far more backward than any other
socio-religious category in this country. The plan document which has
rejected the proposal of a Sub-Plan for Muslims with 15 per cent
allocation of all developmental funds is a betrayal.
A Press release issued by E. M. Abdurahman, General Secretary of PFI,
from Bangalore said the Eleventh Plan document argues for ensuring
equality for Muslim women and moots a pilot scheme for leadership
development among minority women. But all that the government has is the
grandiosely named Prime Minister's 15-Point Program for the Welfare of
Minorities, which includes the targeting of 90 "minority districts" to
provide basic amenities and employment, and creation of some
scholarships and minor skill generation schemes. Unless and until
specific allocations are made in the Eleventh Plan and subsequently in
the annual budgets at the Centre and States, all these announcements
will prove to be mere eyewash, the release emphasized.
The Plan Document is a test of Congress party’s willingness or otherwise
to implement the Sachchar Committee recommendations. If the Government
admits the contention of Sachchar Committee that Muslims are as backward
as Scheduled Castes in many respects, there is no justification in
denying Muslim Sub-Plan which is a provision already being included in
the Plan for SCs and STs. Hence Popular Front of India urges the
Government of India and the Planning Commission to make necessary
changes in the final plan document, incorporating provision for a
Sub-Plan for the development of Muslims on par with other
socio-religious categories, the Press release reiterated.
The meeting condemned the Shiv Sena attack on the Babri Masjid Dharna
organized by Muslim organizations on December 6 at New Delhi and asked
the authorities to protect the right of minorities to campaign for
rebuilding the Babri Masjid.
The meeting was presided over by PFI Chairman E. Abubacker and the
General Secretary E. M. Abdurahman submitted the reports. Those who
attended the meeting included MNP Tamilnadu President Mohammed Ali
Jinnah, General Secretary Ya Moideen, NDF Kerala President Abdurahman
Baqavi, KFD Karnataka President K. M. Shareef, General Secretary K.
Abdul Latheef, Popular Front Treasurer A. M. M. Shafi, Secretary (Admn)
A. Saeed, Secretary O. M. A. Salam, Prof. P. Koya, Adv. K. P. Mohammed
Shareef, A. Saeed and Moulana Syed Kaleemullah Rashadi, the release
said. (pervezbari@eth.net) |
