By Mohammad Ali, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: If your rule as the Chief Minster has been marred by repeated communal violence and if your administration has been seen as a complete failure in ensuring rights of minorities (read Muslims), then you need to learn some thing from the Congress CM of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot on how to woo Muslims, specially just one year before the state assembly elections
With an eye on the assembly polls scheduled next year, Gehlot on Monday presented a populist Budget which specially targeted minorities, Dalits, farmers, youths and government employees.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot presenting the state budget for 2012-13 [Photo Courtesy: Finance Dept. of Rajasthan Govt.]
Communal violence against Muslims has been quite a distinct feature of the Gehlot led Congress government in Rajasthan. Killing of Muslims at Gopalgarh in Bharatpur, at Sarada (Udaipur), at Balesar (Jodhpur) and at Manoharthana, Semli Haat, Maheshpur (Jhalawar) were some of the riot torn areas in the state.
How serious Gehlot is in taking care of interests of Muslims, is yet to be seen but going by the announcements for the minority community in the Budget for the year 2012-13, it seems that he went all out to woo the community which constitutes 8.5 percent of the state population.
With special emphasis on education and health facilities for Muslims, the budget has some thing or the other for every aspect of their lives, including development of infrastructure, hygienic drinking water facilities for 120 minority concentrated villages, employment, entrepreneurship & industry and development of Wakf properties and renovation of places of religious importance.
The Budget has allocated Rs 10 crores for “Mukhyamantri Madarsa Adhunikaran Yojna”, the scheme of modernization of madarsas of the state.
The CM also proposed establishment of 5 “A” category Unani Hospitals in the state.
Gehlot had something for Muslim students studying in professional courses outside Rajasthan. He announced fee reimbursement of up to Rs 1 lakh and room rent of Rs 1000 besides coaching facilities for admission and competitive exams.
The Budget also announced that new girls’ hostels will be built for students belonging to the minority community in four cities of the state. It also has the proposals for recruitment of 100 Urdu lecturers.
The Budget sought to increase infrastructural development funds for the Mewat Development Board from Rs 15 crore to 25 crore. Fund for Urdu Academy has also been increased.
In order to encourage industry to work for the upliftment of the living standards of minorities, the state Budget announced 4 percent interest subsidy to those industries which intend to work for their overall development.
The state Budget also has the proposal of advancement of 15 Crore loans from Rajasthan Minority Finance & Development Cooperative Corporation limited.
The state government has decided to pay the state waqf board the “rationalised rent” for the government offices functioning at the Waqf properties, a decision specially targeted at improving the financial condition of the state waqf board.
The state government has granted 2 Crore subsidy for construction of Haj house at Jaipur. It will provide 28 Crore for the development/renovation of properties of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Dargah and 6 crore for Khwaja Fakhruddin Chishti, Sarwad, Tanha Peer Dargah, Jodhpur and other minority sites of religious importance.
Muslim Ekta Manch, a Rajasthan based NGO has welcomed the budgetary allocations for Muslims but it also appealed the CM to deliver on the promises made last year.