The Hindu : Modi's promise to minorities

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 14, 2002

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Modi's promise to minorities

By Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR MAY 13. On a day when no untoward incident was reported from any part of riot-torn Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, today announced a series of measures to restore the confidence of the minorities in his Government.

In a major concession, Mr. Modi agreed to allow the aggrieved members of the minority community to file fresh police complaints in connection with the incidents during the riots, promised to restore their damaged places of worship, gave an assurance that he would not close down the relief camps till the last inmate was safely rehabilitated and said he would set up women's cells to look into the alleged excesses during the riots.

Mr. Modi also agreed to involve the representatives of non-government organisations during the official survey of the damaged properties to allay fear of irregularities, and consider with an "open mind" all the complaints regarding education and examinations of those affected by the riots. As for missing persons, he agreed to waive the existing rules and set up a committee to take a decision on declaring missing persons dead for the purpose of paying compensation to the next of the kin.

Mr. Modi made the announcement at a meeting with the representatives of the minorities, which was organised here at the initiative of the National Commission for Minorities. It was for the first time that the representatives of the minorities had a direct talk with Mr. Modi, who has been accused of shying away from even visiting the minority relief camps. The only occasion Mr. Modi visited a minority relief camp was when he accompanied the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, to the Shah Alam Roza camp during his visit to the State last month.

Talking to mediapersons, the NCM vice-chairman, Tarlochan Singh, said the Commission was happy that it could play an important role in considerably removing the misgivings of the minorities and bring them closer to the State administration. It had plans to organise another meeting next week to bring the minorities and the Sangh Parivar together in a bid to end violence and restore peace.

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