08-24-2006, 05:50 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Muslim quota may lead to polarisation: Karat
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Hyderabad, Aug. 23: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat has apprehended that reservation to Muslims may lead to communal polarisation.
Speaking to mediapersons here on Wednesday, the CPM leader said there was no Constitutional provision for providing reservation on religion basis and secondly, because of polarisation the core issues of backwardness of Muslims and the need for their upliftment get diverted. âThe inclusion of Muslims in OBC as was done in some States can be considered,â he suggested.
Mr Karat said the West Bengal government had already decided to evolve a sub-plan in the Five Year Plan for minorities. The party has also been suggesting that the Centre should make a provision for sub-plan in the 11th Five Year Plan for minorities to ensure flow of funds. He said the Justice Rajender Sachar committee appointed by Centre on Muslims would bring out the harsh realities vis-a-vis low access to Muslims to education and employment.
The CPM leader also said a package was being worked out by the West Bengal government to compensate farmers whose lands were taken for infrastructure projects and this would stand as an example for other States to follow. Maintaining that Special Economic Zones should be product-specific, he took exception to different State governments taking away thousands of acres from farmers and giving to private entrepreneurs for setting up multi-product SEZs. âIt is objectionable that the governments are allowing the private companies to utilise 30 per cent land for production and the remaining for real estate purposes,â he said.
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Hyderabad, Aug. 23: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat has apprehended that reservation to Muslims may lead to communal polarisation.
Speaking to mediapersons here on Wednesday, the CPM leader said there was no Constitutional provision for providing reservation on religion basis and secondly, because of polarisation the core issues of backwardness of Muslims and the need for their upliftment get diverted. âThe inclusion of Muslims in OBC as was done in some States can be considered,â he suggested.
Mr Karat said the West Bengal government had already decided to evolve a sub-plan in the Five Year Plan for minorities. The party has also been suggesting that the Centre should make a provision for sub-plan in the 11th Five Year Plan for minorities to ensure flow of funds. He said the Justice Rajender Sachar committee appointed by Centre on Muslims would bring out the harsh realities vis-a-vis low access to Muslims to education and employment.
The CPM leader also said a package was being worked out by the West Bengal government to compensate farmers whose lands were taken for infrastructure projects and this would stand as an example for other States to follow. Maintaining that Special Economic Zones should be product-specific, he took exception to different State governments taking away thousands of acres from farmers and giving to private entrepreneurs for setting up multi-product SEZs. âIt is objectionable that the governments are allowing the private companies to utilise 30 per cent land for production and the remaining for real estate purposes,â he said.
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