NEW DELHI AUG.16: Prime Minister P.V.Narasimha Rao turned his Independence day address to the nation on Sunday, into an election speech, announcing a the ramparts of the Red Fort, Rao doled out promises to the Congress traditional vote bank minorities, backward classes rural unemployed and women.

 Offering short-term benefits and long-term awards like the setting up of statutory bodies to perfect the interests of these disadvantaged sections.

Rao broke his silence on the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, declaring that “what has been destroyed will be rebuilt.” The best answer to those “gloating” over the act of destruction would be to reconstruct it, in the same manner as London and other cities were rebuilt after the World War.

In the toughest ever warning to Pakistan since he took over, the election eve bonanza unveiled by the Prime Minister includes:

«A new scheme for women, particularly in villages under which they would start a bank account with a minimum deposit of Rs 300, and the government would contribute Rs 75. Asserting that this would lead to a “revolutionary change” in the attitude towards women in the country, Rao said Rs 1000 crore had been set aside for this scheme.

*For the educated unemployed, the government would give training and assistance to the tune of Rs 1 lakh if two persons came together to start a vocation. Out of this Rs 7,500 will be in the shape of subsidy. About 10 lakh people will benefit from this scheme in the remaining three years of the Eighth Plan; and guaranteed employment during the lean season to people in the 1,700 identified poorest of the poor blocks in the country. The scheme already in operation in

In Maharashtra and Kamataka would be extended all over the country the long-term sops offered to the influential minorities and backwards segment society includes:

“The setting up of a National Minorities Finance and Development Corporation with a capital of Rs 500 crore, The Prime Minister said that a formal announcement would be made in a few days; and *Statutory commission to ameliorate the lot of’ safai karamcharis, A bill on this issue would be placed in Parliament in the next few days, he indicated.

Additionally the Prime Minister made a solemn promise to honor the recommendations of the Minorities’ Commission which had been given statutory powers under his dispensation. Suitable changes were being made in the Waqf laws to reduce legal wrangling over the properties, he said.

The Maulana Azad education foundation would get enhanced funding from the government to help further its task of educating minorities. For the backwards, he pointed out that National Backwards Classes Commission had provided loans to over 25,000 individuals.

The Prime Minister lavishing rich praise on the farmers for not only being food producers for the nation but also being exporters announced that the crop insurance scheme would be extended to every district in the country. Once this scheme was implemented, they would not have to worry about floods and drought.

Declaring that the government had set aside a whopping Rs.20, 000 crores for rural development, Rao said that the scheme of providing toolkits to rural artisans was being extended to 100: new districts this year. By the end of the Eighth plan, he hoped to cover all parts of the country with this scheme.

Elections were very much in the mind of the Prime Minister, even when he issued a stern note of warning to Pakistan.

Article extracted from this publication >>  August 20, 1993