By TCN News,
New Delhi: A national body to combat communalism and focus on nation building, National Integration Council (NIC) will be reconstituted by the UPA government.
Information received by the TwoCircles.net suggests that proposed members of the NIC are being contacted for their acceptance and an announcement will be made soon.
Muslim members of the new NIC will be Salman Khursheed, Justice A.M. Ahmadi, Omar Abdullah, Syed Shahabuddin, Asaduddin Owaisi, Shahid Lateef, Shabnam Hashmi, and Navaid Hamid.
Minister of Minority Affairs Salman Khursheed and Editor of Urdu daily Inquilab Shahid Lateef are the new members. Other Muslims on this body are former Chief Justice of India A.M. Ahmadi, Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir Omar Abdullah, veteran Muslim leader Syed Shahabuddin, Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi, famous activist & founder of ANHAD Shabnam Hashmi and young Muslim leader & General Secretary of Movement for Empowerment of Muslim Indians (MOEMIN) Navaid Hamid.
First convered in 1961 by the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, NIC has met 14 times. Prime Minister is the Chairman of the Council, other members include Ministers of Home Affairs, External Affairs, Finance, Social Justice, and Law. Chief Ministers of all the states are ex-officio members. Presidents of all recognized political parties are also nominated members as well as representatives of trade and industry.
It was disbanded during NDA rule and reconstituted after UPA government came to power.
NIC meeting dates:
2 and 3rd June, 1962
20th to 22nd June, 1968
12th November, 1980
21st January, 1984
7th April, 1986
12th September, 1986
11th April, 1990
22nd September, 1990
2nd November, 1991
31st December, 1991
18th July, 1992
23rd November, 1992
31st August, 2005
13th October, 2008