Book of Integration Council New - Ministry of Home Affairs

SHRI KALAIGNAR M. KARUNANIDHI
CHIEF MINISTER, TAMIL NADU
Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Hon'ble Union Home Minister, Hon'ble
Union Ministers, Hon'ble Chief Ministers of all States and Union Territories,
Leaders of National Political Parties and Distinguished Members of the National
Integration Council,
At the outset, I would like to thank the Prime Minister for having convened
the meeting of the reconstitued National Integration Council at this crucial juncture.
In the wake of communal disturbances reported in different parts of the country
posing a threat to our secular fabric and solidarity, convening the reconstituted
National Integration Council has assumed greater significance. The motivated
and instigated incident of communal violence not only pose a serious threat to
communal peace and amity, but also hamper the momentum of social and
economic development of the country. I am confident that our deliberations
today will certainy result in positive decisions leading to strengthening of our
institutional response both at Central and State levels to effectively meet the
challenges facing this great nation.
2. Tamil Nadu is always keen in maintaining communal harmony in the State
by taking pro-active measures in fulfilling the demands of minorities and downtrodden.
Our State Government has constituted an independent Directorate for minorities
which exclusively formulates and supervises implementation of various welfare
schemes for upliftment of the minorities. Introduction of scholarships and
educational loan schemes, imparting skill development training for creating
self-employment, sanctioning of loans with reduced interest through Minorities
Economic Development Corporation etc., are some of the measures introduced
by the State Government for the welfare of minorities in the State. We have introduced
a separate quota for backward class candidates belonging to Muslim and Christian
communities. We have also constituted Minorities Commission to address the
grievances of the minority communities and advise the Government on their issues.
3. To ensure backward and minority communities occupying a level playing
field, it is imperative that reservation to other backward classes must be enforced
in the Central services, Central educational institutions without any exclusion of
the so called 'creamy layer'.
4. The recently announced Industrial Policy and MSME (Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises) Policy of our Government have laid emphasis on the
balanced development and industrialisation of all the regions, particularly the
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