Author: Saugar Sengupta
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: February 22, 2007
Buddha offers sop to Muslims
After getting a bloody nose from the Jamat-e-Ulema-I-Hind
in the peasants' movement in Nandigram and realising that the agitation may
affect the ruling Left Front's minority votes, the West Bengal Government
is planning to win back Muslims through a host of schemes that include recognising
Urdu as the second State language, besides launching a massive publicity blitzkrieg.
In a brief statement, Chief Minister Buddhadeb
Bhattacharjee on Wednesday said his Government was taking steps to accord
the "most favoured language" status to Urdu. "We are taking
steps to recognise Urdu as second State language," the Chief Minister
said, adding the scheme will apply in select areas to begin with and "the
district magistrates have been told about the Government's plans."
In the initial phase, the minority population
residing at Asansol, Islampur and Metiabruz in Kolkata would benefit from
the new measure, Bhattacharjee said. A set of Muslim leaders, including writers
and professionals, had earlier drawn the Government's attention towards the
"neglect" that the language had reportedly been suffering during
the Marxist regime.
The shift in Government's policy comes in
the wake of anti-campaign launched by JUH State general secretary Siddiqullah
Chowdhury who went to town with the news that the Government was targeting
the lands held by the Muslims while acquiring the farmlands for industrial
purpose and SEZs.
According to Minister of State for Minorities
Abdus Sattar, "the Government should immediately counter the motivated
campaigns launched by Chowdhury who is trying to break the electorate along
communal lines." Chowdhury has armed his campaign with the latest Sachar
Committee report that speaks about the poor condition of the minorities in
West Bengal underscored by the very fact that only 4.5 per cent of Muslims
were in Government job while they form 25 per cent of the State's population.
Sattar is known to have written a letter to
the Chief Minister who is also in charge of Information and Culture portfolio
to start a publicity campaign highlighting the benefits the Muslim community
has derived from land reforms and panchayati raj. "The communal harmony
in the State would also be highlighted," Government sources said.
"Land reforms and introduction of panchayati
system have combined well to uplift the condition of the Muslims in the State.
West Bengal is today communally the most peaceful State in the country,"
said Sattar.
