Islamist Appeasement in West Bengal: If India surges ahead, can West Bengal remain far behind?

Islamist Appeasement in West Bengal: If India surges ahead, can West Bengal remain far behind ?


On August 2, all the Ananda Bazar Patrika, a leading Bengali daily of Kolkata carried an advertisement by the government of West Bengal, elaborating its future programme to uplift the condition of the minorities (i.e. Muslims). The ad had the title “What the state government is going to do to uplift the condition of the minorities”.


1) The government has entrusted the Indian Statistical Institute to prepare a report on the socio-economic condition of the minorities of the state.


2) The government is going to implement all possible measures for a all-round up-lift of the Muslims, which no other state government has taken so far. The government has already allocated 15 per cent more funds for developing the areas where Muslims are a majority.


3) For appointment of 10 or more employees in the 3rd and 4th standard government jobs, the presence of at least one Muslim in the selection committee has been made mandatory.


4) Various types of development programmes, such as Golden Jubilee Rural Self-employment Programme, Golden Jubilee Urban Self-employment Programme, vocational training programmes for employment of urban unemployed, the government will now provide more privileges for the Muslims, in excess what they are enjoying today, the basis of their percentage of population.


5) Two directorates, with 100 posts each, have been created to work under this Department, who will look after the progress of the said programmes.


6) Maps have been prepared to indicate the state of education in different parts of the state and steps have already been taken to set up new schools and colleges in backward areas.


6) Financial assistances including stipends, scholarships and interest free educational loans have been made available to poor but meritorious Muslim students pursuing studies in engineering and medical science.


7) Twenty two Muslim dominated areas have been earmarked and steps have been taken to set up polytechnic schools and Industrial Training Institutes in those areas.


8) At present, the government has ten hostels for Muslim girls and four more are in the stage of near completion.


9) Arrangement for mid-day meal has been made ready for Muslim students reading in class I and up to class V standard and girl students studying in madrassas are to get free clothes and books and other stationeries.


10) A fund of rupees 203 crores has allotted for madrassa education.


11) Necessary steps have been taken to increase the number of madrassas and to elevate the standard of teaching.


12) In the financial year of 2007-08, the government is going to set up 100 new madrassas and 400 secondary schools for the Muslims.


13) Requisite funds have been allocated for appointing more teachers, setting up laboratories and the educational infrastructure in madrassas. Vocational training and computer courses are also to be introduced in Madrassas education.


14) Steps have been taken to elevate the Calcutta Madrassa as an independent university and 10 bighas of land has been allotted for this purpose.


15) A separate building for the Madrassa Board is to be built at Salt Lake city spending nearly rupees 5 crores.


16) A new educational complex is to be set up on 52 cottahs of land on the G. C. Dey Road in collaboration with the Learnium Group. At least 50 per cent of learners in this complex must come from the Muslims and Special concessions would be provided for the Muslim learners. It would also have facilities for providing vocational trainings.


17) A programme, under joint effort of the Minority Development Cell and the Finance Ministry of the government, has been undertaken to provide unemployed Muslim young men and women with vocational training and easy loans for self employment. The programme for self-employment, micro-loan and vocational training for various professional courses are running under full swing. A new building to this end is to be erected at the Salt Lake City by spending Rs 4 crore on 20 cottahs of land.


18) Initiative has been taken to survey and mapping of the Wakf properties afresh and their protection. Initiatives have also been taken to build schools, students’ hostels, vocational training centres and residential complexes on Wakf land. Several other programmes have been undertaken to this end. The task of preserving important documents using the modern techniques has been handed over to experienced people.


19) A new lodge is being set up near the airport, spending Rs 5 crore, for providing facilities to the Hajj pilgrims.


20) Several programmes have been undertaken for the Urdu speaking people which include preparation of books and periodicals, preparation of question papers, operating computers using Urdu, diploma in multi-lingual DTP technique, organizing seminars and symposia, publishing books and rewarding the Authors for excellence.


21) A major initiative has been undertaken to protect Muslim graveyards in all the districts and, after prior discussions with the respective district magistrates, walls have already been erected around 42 graveyards and work is under way in 5 others.