Sonia calls for affirmative action to improve Muslims' lot

New Delhi, June 12 (UNI) UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi today called for affirmative actions to increase Muslims' representations in public employment and access to educational institutions.

Underscoring that ''the development level of Muslim population in terms of equality and social justice was a matter of concern,'' Ms Gandhi called for reducing level of deprivation beginning with the weakest and the most in need.

''The community is underrepresented in public employement and public life. Differentiations of this kind are unacceptable in a modern society. They retard the overall progress of India itself,'' she said after inaugurating the India Islamic Cultural Centre(IICC) here.

She said that in a mature society, problems should not be brushed aside, but faced with specific targets within a specific time-frame in mind.

Ms Gandhi said that though Muslims enjoyed equal rights under the constitution, there was a gap between rights in law and their realisation. So, the task at hand was to generate awareness of the problems that exist and explore equitable, cooperative solutions, she added.

She laid special emphasis on attending to the problems of women and children, in particular of the girl child, and responding to the educational and employment aspirations of the Muslim youth.

It was with these objectives, Ms Gandhi said, that the Minority Affairs Ministry was constituted and a Prime Minister's High Level Committee set up to report on social, economic and educational status of the Muslim Community and to suggest policy interventions.

The Planning Commission will identify areas of special focus for the 11th five-year plan, she added.

The UPA chairperosn said 'India' and 'Islamic' were not mutually exclusive terms, nor were synonymous but were two important ingredeints of the composite culture of the country.

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