The Hindu : BJP manifesto talks of anti-conversion law in Gujarat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 02, 2002

Front Page

Front Page

BJP manifesto talks of anti-conversion law in Gujarat

By Manas Dasgupta

AHMEDABAD Dec. 1. The Bharatiya Janata Party today released its election manifesto — a mixture of Hindutva and the constitutional obligation of secularism — for the December 12 elections to the Gujarat Assembly.

The manifesto, which the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, preferred to call his party's "resolve rather than just promises,'' gives no sops for the members of the battered minority community except assuring them of "peace and safety as well as development and progress'' for all religious and linguistic minorities as required under the Constitution. But, the party has promised to enact an anti-conversion law and "study the utility of madrassas (religious seminaries) in the 21st century.'' It has also promised to set up a Sanskrit University and an Ahimsa University to carry forward the promises made by the previous BJP Government.

`Shakti grams' planned

Stressing particularly on "security'' and the fight against terrorism and cross-border infiltration, which the BJP has been projecting as its "main plank'' in the coming elections, the manifesto promises to provide training to youths in combating terrorism, impart compulsory NCC training at the college level and special training to the people in the borders, issue identity cards and licence for weapons to them, set up sainik schools in the border areas, create a second-line defence with "gram rakshak dals" and home guards, and set up "shakti-grams'' — a resettlement of retired soldiers in the villages bordering Pakistan, a move which apparently entails the evacuation of the minority settlers on the borders.

Besides Mr. Modi, his predecessor, Keshubhai Patel, the Gujarat BJP president, Rajendrasinh Rana, and the national treasurer, Ramdas Aggarwal, who is in-charge of Gujarat affairs, were present during the release of the manifesto.

Mr. Modi reacted sharply to a question on why the manifesto made no mention of the Godhra and post-Godhra riot victims. "No government can plan for riots but can only guarantee safety and security to all the people.'' Without naming the Congress, he said "certain elements'' were trying to convert Gujarat into another Jammu and Kashmir and as a responsible party "it was our duty to thwart all such attempts."

`Madrassas to be

looked into'

The "activities'' of the madrassas were a matter of "serious concern" because those studying in such institutions were not even provided with basic primary education as required under the Constitution. The government would "go deep to examine the utility of such institutions" in the context of development in the 21st century and take necessary steps accordingly.

Mr. Modi saw nothing amiss in enacting an anti-conversion law which was intended to curb conversions by "force, lure or fear.'' Such an Act was already in force in Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and some other States.

The BJP Government had implemented more than 90 per cent of the promises it had made in the 1998 manifesto but could not fulfil its commitment cent per cent because of natural calamities, "impediments created by the opposition parties" and the shortening of the Assembly's term "due to the Opposition's demand for his resignation." However, "we will carry forward the unfinished promises in the next term.''

The 344-point manifesto (as against the 220-point manifesto of the Congress) emphasises the "security and safety'' aspects of the people — including security at the borders, security against anti-national and anti-social elements, security for women, and to religions and culture and trade and industry. It particularly emphasises the infrastructure development in all the sectors, strengthening of educational opportunities to develop human resource, irrigation to improve agriculture and power to strengthen industry.

In a bid to encourage the study of English, the manifesto promises a "mixture'' of medium of study — subjects such as science and mathematics in English and others such as history, civics and others in the Gujarati medium. It is also keen on an official channel to streamline the migration of students to other countries. Most other promises, including a 14-hour power supply to farm sector, a 24-hour single-phase power to villages, plan to increase power generation and computer education in schools, are, by and large, the same as contained in the Congress manifesto.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

Stories in this Section

Pak. not ready to change policy on terrorism: PM

Ostracise Pak., says Advani

BJP manifesto talks of anti-conversion law in Gujarat

EC takes note of Godhra pictures

Pak. resents Putin's remarks

Major among 9 killed

4 die in militant attack

33 killed in stampede