Book of Integration Council New - Ministry of Home Affairs

I have noted with great satisfaction that there is across the board consensus
on the need to contain communal discord and violence, protect minority rights and
uphold our cherished ideals of nationalism, secularism, inclusiveness and nonviolence.
The Council has been unanimous in the condemnation of the recent acts
of communal strife and discord in some parts of our country. There has also
been agreement that terrorism constitutes a major challenge to the cohesiveness of
our nation. This challenge has to be met effectively but targeting of particular
communities and their profiling has to be avoided. It has to be recognized that
terrorists have no religion. I believe today’s deliberations will give us renewed
courage to face all the challenges in the coming days.
Suggestions have been received to hold more frequent meetings of the NIC
and to put in place an institutionalized mechanism within the NIC to pursue
relevant issues on a continous basis. These suggestions will be taken up for
immediate follow up action. I would like to draw the attention of the Council to the
report of the Working Group of the National Integration Council which studied the
reports of the Commissions of Inquiry on communal riots. Valuable suggestions
are contained in the report of the Working Group and I urge both the Home
Ministry and the State Governments to have a careful look at the recommendations
of this important Working Group.
After hearing your statements, I believe that we agree on the imperative
necessity to preserve and protect the secular fabric of our composite society and
the interests of all our people, particularly the minorities and the disadvantaged.
Needless to stress, it is incumbent on the Central and State Governments to act
decisively and firmly when communal strife, ethnic violence and terror disturb our
peace and harmony. I would like to take this opportunity to assure all of you that
the Central Government would not be found wanting in the fulfillment of its
Constitutional obligations.
I am convinced that we need to approach these issues with vigour and
with a greater sense of unity of purpose. What we are confronting today are the
problems of dangerous proportion and we need to act together, now and in the
future. This meeting is one step forward. I call upon the Chief Ministers of all
States to initiate similar dialogues with all sections of society in their respective
states. They should pay special attention to winning the hearts and minds of
minorities and other disadvantaged groups. The police and security forces ought
to be adequately sensitive to the concerns of the minorities. Dear members let us
all work together shoulder-to-shoulder to decisively defeat the nefarious designs of
divisive forces and take our nation forward.
At the end of our very productive deliberations today, it is appropriate
for us to adopt a resolution which reflects our concerns and resolve. Now I
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