Expectations from the New Government
Since assuming office of the Minister of the Minority Affairs, Salman Khursheed is all over the media promising schemes and programmes for the socio-economic development of the Muslims. One thing that he will not agree to is tabling the Ranganath Misra Commission report on reservation for the Muslims.
Though the Congress manifesto was clear that the party favours reservation for minorities at the national level, now that it has come to power, the fine prints are getting larger in size. Salman Khursheed now says that reservation is a ‘double-edged sword’ and that it can only be implemented by ‘consensus.’
Khursheed did not disclose any plan on how he wants to achieve this ‘consensus’ or if he is even willing to do that. From his statements it does not appear so. If the UPA government is serious about the issue, then the first step for arriving at this consensus will be to table in the Parliament the Ranganath Misra Commission report that recommends reservation for the Muslims. How can one reach a consensus when its arguments are not known; no discussion can take place until this report is made public.
The Congress, in its manifesto declared that it is “irrevocably committed to ensuring that the Constitutional rights of all minorities are protected fully, that the representation of minorities in public administration increases substantially, and that minorities recognize that the government is working for their welfare at all times.” For this to happen, the government needs to act and act fast.
Last five years has not given Muslims much faith in the Congress. Though they voted overwhelmingly for the party, it was not because Congress has done much for the minorities except appointing the Sachar Committee. They voted to continue the stability and hoping for a better future and may be it will now be able to deliver with the increased mandate.
The Congress record has been awfully bad when it comes to terrorism. Not only that it failed to stop major terrorist attacks but during counter-terrorism operation hundreds of Muslim youths were arrested, humiliated, and tortured. Many of these have now been released but with their lives and career destroyed. Government should compensate them and also investigate each case where innocents were falsely implicated. Indians need to know the truth because each mistake wasted valuable time and resources but also it kept us from finding the true leads that would have led us to find the real culprits. We are yet to convict anyone for any of the recent bomb blasts. It is a shameful performance for any government.
Also, we don’t need new sets of plans and schemes when we know that most schemes however well-designed and well-intended fail at the implementation stage. What one needs is a mechanism for monitoring the implementation machinery. A long standing demand has been to constitute a joint-parliamentary committee to monitor the schemes.
Though there has not been a high profile communal violence in recent years but this problem continues to affect thousands in smaller towns and villages. Communal violence bill will help in that situation. Indian police are badly in need of a reform not only to sensitize them to the needs and aspirations of a diverse society but also because in this new age there are new types of crimes and antiquated mind set and equipments will not go too far. Police need to come out of their colonial mental state that they exist to serve the ruling class. Police is there to protect and help the citizenry and this feeling needs to be cultivated among the ranks.
Of course, a government is more than maintaining of law and order. A majority of Indian live under dire poverty about half of the population subsists on $1 a day. For a country the size of India it is a big challenge but also a country this big has natural and human resources that need to be properly utilized for the benefit of its people.
Money should be spent on the infrastructure development that will help us in the long run and for long term. We need investment in roads, electricity, schools, sanitation, hospital, food & water. No country can claim its rightful place in the society of the nations with its citizen denied the right to live a life of dignity.
The Congress party needs to take lessons from the past that Indian voters have punished non-performing political parties. If it fails to deliver and squander its mandate to better the lives of the ordinary people then Congressmen and women will have only themselves blame.
Published: The Islamic Voice, July 2009 Editorial
Though the Congress manifesto was clear that the party favours reservation for minorities at the national level, now that it has come to power, the fine prints are getting larger in size. Salman Khursheed now says that reservation is a ‘double-edged sword’ and that it can only be implemented by ‘consensus.’
Khursheed did not disclose any plan on how he wants to achieve this ‘consensus’ or if he is even willing to do that. From his statements it does not appear so. If the UPA government is serious about the issue, then the first step for arriving at this consensus will be to table in the Parliament the Ranganath Misra Commission report that recommends reservation for the Muslims. How can one reach a consensus when its arguments are not known; no discussion can take place until this report is made public.
The Congress, in its manifesto declared that it is “irrevocably committed to ensuring that the Constitutional rights of all minorities are protected fully, that the representation of minorities in public administration increases substantially, and that minorities recognize that the government is working for their welfare at all times.” For this to happen, the government needs to act and act fast.
Last five years has not given Muslims much faith in the Congress. Though they voted overwhelmingly for the party, it was not because Congress has done much for the minorities except appointing the Sachar Committee. They voted to continue the stability and hoping for a better future and may be it will now be able to deliver with the increased mandate.
The Congress record has been awfully bad when it comes to terrorism. Not only that it failed to stop major terrorist attacks but during counter-terrorism operation hundreds of Muslim youths were arrested, humiliated, and tortured. Many of these have now been released but with their lives and career destroyed. Government should compensate them and also investigate each case where innocents were falsely implicated. Indians need to know the truth because each mistake wasted valuable time and resources but also it kept us from finding the true leads that would have led us to find the real culprits. We are yet to convict anyone for any of the recent bomb blasts. It is a shameful performance for any government.
Also, we don’t need new sets of plans and schemes when we know that most schemes however well-designed and well-intended fail at the implementation stage. What one needs is a mechanism for monitoring the implementation machinery. A long standing demand has been to constitute a joint-parliamentary committee to monitor the schemes.
Though there has not been a high profile communal violence in recent years but this problem continues to affect thousands in smaller towns and villages. Communal violence bill will help in that situation. Indian police are badly in need of a reform not only to sensitize them to the needs and aspirations of a diverse society but also because in this new age there are new types of crimes and antiquated mind set and equipments will not go too far. Police need to come out of their colonial mental state that they exist to serve the ruling class. Police is there to protect and help the citizenry and this feeling needs to be cultivated among the ranks.
Of course, a government is more than maintaining of law and order. A majority of Indian live under dire poverty about half of the population subsists on $1 a day. For a country the size of India it is a big challenge but also a country this big has natural and human resources that need to be properly utilized for the benefit of its people.
Money should be spent on the infrastructure development that will help us in the long run and for long term. We need investment in roads, electricity, schools, sanitation, hospital, food & water. No country can claim its rightful place in the society of the nations with its citizen denied the right to live a life of dignity.
The Congress party needs to take lessons from the past that Indian voters have punished non-performing political parties. If it fails to deliver and squander its mandate to better the lives of the ordinary people then Congressmen and women will have only themselves blame.
Published: The Islamic Voice, July 2009 Editorial
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