Kolkata, India - Refuting charges from the saffron brigade that Marxists were appeasing minority communities, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Monday pointed to the Sachar Committee report to project his government’s "weakness" in taking up adequate measures for the uplift of the minorities.
Speaking at a meeting organised by West Bengal Minorities Finance and Development Corporation (WBMFDC), he admitted that Muslim representation in government jobs in the state was far below the national average. He used this to have a dig at the saffron brigade: "The findings prove that we didn’t appease Muslims."
"It is true that we don’t have many Muslims in government offices, particularly among the lower ranks. This is shameful. We have tried to identify the causes. A majority of the students from the Muslim community study in madarsas. Unless the madarsas are modernised, their syllabi upgraded, the students studying there won’t be able to compete with others. Those madarsas, which are yet to get themselves affiliated to the board, should do that immediately. They are not helping the students by keeping them away from modern education," Bhattacharjee said.
Sensing the mood among a section of the Muslims, he was silent on the Bangladeshi writer in exile Taslima Nasreen. Instead, he harped on peace and development. "We want the state to move forward. If we get divided in the name of religion and caste, it will spell disaster for all. We have stayed together for all these years and will remain so. For those, who are hell-bent on dividing us, we have the message — dur hato (go away)," he said.
The chief minister spoke on providing equal opportunities to the minority community members for their economic betterment, arguing against reservation.
"There are many who advocate reservation. This is not going to help. It will be very difficult to come out from the legal wrangles that will follow. We cannot win the legal battle. Again, does reservation really help? A minuscule section of the scheduled tribes has benefited from the existing reservation policy. What we need is not reservation but empowerment," said Bhattacharjee.
He also had stern words for the Sachar committee report, which said Muslims in the state were among the most backward in the country. Adverse reaction to the Sachar committee’s report from within the community had dented the Left Front’s claims of championing minority rights.
"The Sachar committee had overlooked several factors. We didn’t need the report to open our eyes to the problems of the minority community. We are aware of the ground reality," he said.