Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today called for a fair share for minorities in Government as well as in private sector jobs, besides underscoring the need for widening of access to professional courses for Muslim girls.

“It is essential that communal peace and harmony should be maintained and the minorities get a fair share in Central and State Government and private sector jobs,” the Prime Minister said while addressing the annual conference of the state minorities commissions.

Stressing that the lack of access to the common school system is the main reason for the socio-economic backwardness of the Muslims, the Prime Minister said “Widening of the access of the Muslim girls in professional education, particularly medical and educational courses should be a priority area of our educational programme.”

He said the minority youth should be provided with skills, which will enable them to get their “legitimate share in employment both in public sector and also in the private sector.”

Singh called for “sharper focus” for the implementation of concrete schemes for setting up of secondary and higher secondary schools on blocks and districts with a pre-dominant Muslim population in the current and next plan.

Saying that a new 15-point programme for minority welfare needs “monitoring,” Singh said that schemes meant to target specific problems in education, health, employment and shelter have not flowed “equitably to the eligible sections amongst the minorities.”

“This nation does not belong to any single race, least of all any group of religious extremists. It belongs to a mosaic of religiously, linguistically and culturally varied communities,” the Prime Minister reminded.

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