Author: Pioneer News Service
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: October 14, 2008
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/127556/Maya-promises-more-madarsas.html
In a bid to dent the traditional Muslim vote
bank of Samajwadi Party ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister
Mayawati on Monday announced a slew of schemes, including setting up of an
Arabic-Persian university here.
The UP Chief Minister also tried to corner
the UPA Government by asking it to come clean on the Batala House encounter,
which had raised serious doubts over its authenticity among the community
members.
Mayawati said that an Arabic-Persian university
would be set up in the State capital and Rs 10 crore had been allocated for
the purpose. Besides, the number of madarsas on Government grant list would
also be increased from 360 to 460.
The Chief Minister also announced a grant
of Rs 2 crore to the Waqf Board, establishment of Unani medicine directorate,
increased income limit for scholarships to minority students from Rs 18,700
to Rs 1 lakh and Manyawar Kanshiram Employment Scheme.
Acting in her usual style, she said she had
shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on October 10 asking him
to tackle the problems in Orissa and Karnataka where Christians were attacked
and were feeling insecure.
In her letter, she stated that the Muslims
were worried about their safety and in view of the Batala House encounter
the case had become important and the Union Government must take immediate
steps to restore confidence and security in their minds.
Addressing her party's convention on 'Problems
of Muslims in India - Reasons and solutions' here on Monday, Mayawati came
down heavily on the Congress and held it responsible for the plight of Muslims
as it had ruled the country for 48 years out of 60 since Independence.
Citing the Sachar Committee's recommendations,
Mayawati claimed that the Muslims were faring badly in all aspects - whether
it be social, economical or educational, in comparison to the people in the
general category and the Congress had only kept using the Muslims as a vote
bank doing little or nothing for their welfare.
She also alleged that during Congress rule,
Muslims suffered the worst in riots all over the country while the same happened
in UP during SP rule.
Mayawati said that though she wanted to go
further, the resource crunch in the State was curtailing her actions.
The Chief Minister promised that once she
gets to rule the country, all problems of the community would be addressed
and added that only the BSP was capable of doing it.
The BSP chief also offered to set up a coaching
institute for civil service aspirants from minority community and allocated
Rs 4 crore for the purpose.
Besides filling up of vacancies of Urdu teachers,
the Government would make arrangement of Urdu teaching in 964 primary and
1,212 higher secondary schools and open two new schools for girls, she said.
The grant of Rs 1 crore for marriage of girls
of minority community would be raised to Rs 12 crore. The Government would
file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court to ensure opening up of
a minority institution, plan for which was at halt after a high court order
on August 24, 2006.
Prominent Muslim clerics who attended the
convention included vice-chairman of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board
Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, members of the AIMPLB Kalbe Jawwad and Khalid Rasheed
Firangimahali, Maulana Hameedul Hasan, Fakharuddin Kichhauchhavi and Siddiqui
Baba. Senior Cabinet Minister Nassemuddeen Siddiqui conducted the event while
national general secretaries of the party -Akhilesh Das, Shahid Siddiqui and
former MLC Siraj Mehandi - and other were also present on the occasion.
