THE CONGRESS PARTY'S PRIORITIES, PLANS AND PROGRAMMES

MINORITIES

 

The Congress believes in affirmative action for all religious and linguistic minorities. The Congress has provided for reservations for Muslims in Kerala and Karnataka in government employment and education on the grounds that they are a socially and educationally backward class. The Congress is committed to adopting this policy for socially and educationally backward sections among Muslims and other religious minorities on a national scale. The Congress also pledges to extend reservations for the economically deprived persons belonging to communities that are at present not entitled to such reservations.

The Congress will adopt all possible measures to promote and maintain communal peace and harmony, especially in sensitive areas. It will enact a comprehensive law on social violence in all its forms and manifestations, providing for investigations by a central agency, prosecution by Special Courts and payment of uniform compensation for loss of life, honour and property.

The Congress commits itself to amending the Constitution to establish a Commission for Minority Educational Institutions that will provide direct affiliation for minority professional institutions to central universities. Special steps will be taken to spread modern and technical education among women in minority communities particularly.

New middle-level technical institutions will be started in places where for example, weavers and artisans are concentrated. The National Minorities Development Corporation and State Minorities Development Corporations will be made direct-lending institutions.

On the Ayodhya issue, the Congress’s stand has been very clear. All parties must wait for and abide by the verdict of the courts. If negotiations are to he held, they must be between the parties to the dispute. And the Places of Worship (Special Provision) Act, 1992 which freezes the status of all disputed sires other than Ayodhya as of August 15, 1947 must be strictly enforced.