By Zaidul Haque, Twocircles.net
Kolkata: The All India Trinamool Congress, which released its election manifesto a few days ago, seems to have paid more attention to the Minority development of West Bengal this time.
TMC, which is first party in WB to release its manifesto in five languages—English, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu and Alchiki—has nominated 56 Muslim candidates to contest in West Bengal Assembly Election 2016.
To ensure development of the minority community, TMC in its manifesto has said that it will build a new Medical College under the Aliah University will be build if TMC becomes in power again, adding that more English-medium Madrasas would be built and by 2020, all government-funded Madrasah students would be given primary computer training.
Mamata Banerjee releasing Trinamool Congress Election Manifesto
New Madrasah centres would be built, with more rooms, toilets, hostels, laboratories and drinking water supply being established for them. Many hostels would be built for these centres by 2020. Minority hostels would be built near centres of higher education for the minority community. Higher secondary schools will be established in minority inhabited districts, with new departments being opened in the colleges over there. The manifesto also said that a new scheme will be adopted to provide financial assistance to minority-community students undertaking IAS training in Delhi, which will help hundreds of students.
Training centres for competitive exams like WBCS and IBPS would also be established. Under the home-for-all principle, housing projects for the minority community would be taken up. Through the incorporation of Muslims in the OBC list and by securing 17% reservation for OBCs, employment opportunities would be ensured for the minority fraternity and others development of the Minority.
TMC Manifesto in Urdu
In the manifesto, TMC claimed that to ensure minority development, a special commission was to be formed by the Trinamool government to research into areas where the improvement of the minority conditions could be manifested. For loans and scholarships to Minority students, TMC stated that it had awarded scholarships to 1.05 crore minority students worth Rs 1,921 crore and distributed loans worth Rs 700 crore to minority youth to secure self-employment.
The manifesto said that 97% of the Muslims have been incorporated within the OBC list, thus ensuring reservation for them in education and government services and other facilities, along with 17% reservation for OBCs in higher education institutes.
TMC Manifesto in Bengali
Comparing the TMC government’s minority development budget with that of the previous Left-Front Government, the party said this budget had been raised by five times from 2011—from Rs 472 crore to Rs 2,383 crore—in 2015-16.
The manifesto also pointed out the role played by TMC in the success of Muslims in professional courses. The Aliah University in New Town which is spread over 20 acres and is valued at INR 257 crore is already functional. The 5-acre Haj Bhavan in New Town, Madina-tul-Hujjaj, an expense of INR 100 crore, passed permission for the erection of 382 hostels, to improve the skills of minority students, 8 polytechnic colleges (including one upgraded institute) 39 ITIs have been constructed in minority-resident blocks, 332 Marketing Hubs etc.
TMC Manifesto in Alchiki
To promote the role of Urdu, the manifesto said that in areas where more than 10% of the population is from the minority community, Urdu has been incorporated as a state language. In fact, Urdu is being included in the list of state languages officially. West Bengal Urdu Academies are being established in Asansol (Burdwan) and Islampur (North Dinajpur) to promote the language in minority-inhabited areas.
(Photo: Khalidur Rahim)