No amount of dole can remove poverty unless one endeavours for acquiring education and skills. Even the best Government can't alleviate poverty and ignorance, unless the mindset of the poverty ridden unskilled people changes. The poor sections of the society must realise that it is their personal responsibility to get rid of their miserable condition.

The same applies to minorities as well, except that the genesis of the minorities' problem stems from their political agenda and the politics of votebank. Even if we do not delve into the history of minorities' problems in whole of the 20th century and just peep into the Congress lead UPA regime, we can clearly see a new phase of Muslim appeasement..

The common minimum programme of the UPA is distinctly tilted in favour of Muslim minority. Following text may testify it: "The UPA Government will enact a model comprehensive law to deal with communal violence and encourage each State to adopt that law. It will provide direct affiliation for minority professional institutions to central universities. It will promote modern technical education among all minority communities. The UPA will establish a National Commission to see how best the welfare of socially and economically backward sections among religious and linguistic minorities, including reservations in education and employment, is enhanced."

In addition to that, repeal of POTA was the priority of the common minimum programme, which resulted in spurt of terrorist activity in the country. It was done to appease the Muslims. This emboldened the terrorists to the extent that if Afzal Guru is sentenced to death by the courts, twice confirmed by the Supreme Court, they have threatened to set Srinagar ablaze. Frightened Manmohan Singh Government is delaying the gallows. In the serial blasts of Mumbai local train terrorists of Pakistani origin, with the help of SIMI and other sleeper cells, killed nearly 200 innocent commuters. In fact, for repeal of POTA, India is paying very heavily on the security front.

In 2004 after the election results, the Congress came to the conclusion that if the Muslims had voted for Congress in West Bengal, Bihar Jharkhand and UP the Congress tally could have crossed 200 mark in the Lok Sabha. Initiating strategy in that direction, the Congress scheduled and administered dozes of Muslim appeasements. Andhra elections manifesto of the Congress promised reservation for Muslims in the State. They fulfiled the promise though it was struck down by the Supreme Court.

The hottest seat of the Muslim communalism, Aligarh Muslim University, was brought in the category of minority institutions. The Muslim reservation was enhanced even in professional colleges though that too was struck down by the High Court of Allahabad. Various commissions for minorities were created at the Centre and the State level. The fact is that not one month in the 32 months, the UPA regime has passed without dispensing some high doze of appeasement.

For more than a year it appeared as if it was HRD Minister Arjun Singh's personal agenda but when AR Antulay was appointed as Cabinet Minister for Minority Affairs for the first time, the policy, priority and schedule was de-clothed. I have often commented that it was the height of appeasement but when Sachar Commission was appointed and it wrote a letter to Defence Services, calling for data on representation of Muslims in the forces, all the three Chiefs opposed it vehemently. There was resentment among the rank and file of the armed forces. When the report came out, it called for reservations on the basis of religion, a subject much debated in the Constituent Assembly and was unanimously rejected. But the worst was yet to come. Manmohan Singh asserted emphatically that the Muslims have the first right over the country's resources.

Now, the Government has asked the Indian Banks Association (IBA) to consider earmarking a slice of the total loan disbursals for minorities. This will work out to be as high as six per cent of the total loans given by the banks. A letter dated January 6, 2007 of Banking Division, Ministry of Finance asked the IBA to examine the proposal to set aside 15 per cent of the priority sector lending to categories of minority community.

The IBA sent letters to member banks in this regard. Senior members were taken aback. The situational ground reality is that there is no report of discrimination for sanctioning of loans and a borrower is not required to disclose his religion in the loan application. There are no complaints of discrimination against minorities in banks. Banks take care of repayment capability of the borrower. Is it not a votebank politics at its worst?

Courtesy: www.dailypioneer.com, January 21, 2007