Don't pin hopes on govt jobs, Patil tells minorities

New Delhi, Dec 28: Responding to the demand for reservation for Muslims and other minorities at international conference here, Home Minister Shivraj Patil today advised them to focus more on seeking employment in trade and industry rather than in the government.

Mr Patil assured them of taking steps to provide soft loans to them for the purpose.

''Government jobs formed only three per cent of the total employment, while trade and industry have unlimited scope for employment,'' he said adressing an international conference on Dalits and Minorities.

He said though he was in favoure of continuation of reservation for Scheduled Castes and Tribes, he felt that minorities would not gain much by focusing on government employmenmt.

He said long term loan should be given to minorities on cencessional rates of interest, at least less than seven per cent as prevailing today, so that they could start their own venture.

The government can certainly work out plan for arranging money to them, said the Home Minister calling upon minorities to develop a spirit of adventure and be ready to take risk for success.

Underlining that the UPA regime was committed to protecting the life and property of minorities and weaker sections, Mr Patil said he asked all the state governments to take quick action against perpetrators of atrocities on these classes of people.

Referring to the communal harmony legislation introduced in Parliament and now lying with the Parliamentary Standing Committee, he said the bill will be passed soon and become law.

It will be a milestone in the history of jurissprudence as it provides not only for punishment to the perpetrators of violence but also compensation to the victims.

The law incorporates all those provisions demanded by civil rights activists for long. For example, he said, the proposed law has also provision for creation of a special agency for investigation of communal riots, double punishment for those convicted for communal crimes, special courts to try such offences and fast trial etc.

Earlier, speaking at the morning session of the conference, Minister for Minorities Affairs A R Antulay said the Sachar Committee report will be implemented. He said he would also streamline the working of the waqfs to make them yield benefits for the community. Thinker and social activist Asghar Ali Engineer said that while expecting dalits and other weaker sections to take up their cause, Muslims should also come forward to support these sections when atrocities were committed on them.

He expressed concern over participation of dalits in communal violence and asked their leaders to create awarness against such crimes among their young generation.

Mr Engineer expressed himself against the demand for reservation for Muslims, saying it would create unnecessary controversies without really benefiting Muslims.

However, president All India Muslim Majlis Mushawarat Syed Shahabuddin and president of American Federation of Indian Muslims Dr A Nakedar said reservation was needed for the community Mr Shahabuddin said the need is evident afte the Sachar Committee report which has brought out the backwardness of the community.

He said the 50 per cent limit on reservation should be challenged.

The two-day conference which ended here today was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday.

A number of delegates from US, UK and other foreign countries also participated in the conference.

UNI

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