Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

Representatives of Muslim Organizations meet PM

A delegation of representatives of various Muslim organizations led by Shri Syed Ahmad Bukhari, Shahi Imam, Jama Masjid, Delhi, met the Prime Minister today.

The delegation informed the Prime Minister that a Representative Conference of the Muslims was held in the Jama Masjid Complex on 18.03.2006, in which certain resolutions relating to major issues facing the community were adopted. Shri Bukhari presented a memorandum to the Prime Minister enclosing the list of such issues, including the sanction of a special economic package for the victims of communal riots, reinstatement of the minority character of the Aligarh Muslim University, initiatives required to address the economic and educational backwardness of the Muslim community, illegal occupation of wakf properties, and increasing the corpus fund of the Maulana Azad Education Foundation and the Minorities Development and Finance Corporation.

The Prime Minister informed the delegation that the Government has set up the High Level Committee under Justice Rajendar Sachar to study and prepare a Comprehensive Report on the Social, Economic and Educational Status of the Muslim Community of India. The Committee is expected to complete its work and present its report in the near future. He stated that the Government is committed to address the genuine problems of the Muslim community and provide equitable opportunities for the economic and educational advancement of the community to ensure their due participation in the development processes.

In response to a question. raised by one of the delegates in regard to Indian foreign policy and the vote against Iran in the IAEA, the Prime Minister stated that improvement in the relations between India and the US is in the interest of all citizens of India. He emphasised that there is no question of succumbing to any external pressure in regard to our foreign policy. However, it is a fact that Iran had a clandestine nuclear programme for several years and it is not in our interest to have another nuclear weapon state in our neighbourhood. Iran should have all the rights and duties of a signatory state to the NPT.