National Integration Council meet: Highlights

New Delhi: National Integration Council meet begins in New Delhi. Here are the highlights:

Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde addresses the gathering:

• NIC provides us with unique ideas for a unique and pluralistic society.
  
• We propose to discuss safety of women, no country can progress without respecting its women
  
• Will also discuss atrocities committed against SC/STs
  
• It is our foremost duty to maintain unity, harmony

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh:

• I welcome you all to this meet.
• This meet is to discuss the Muzaffarnagar violence. Therefore, this meet is of greater significance.
• The Muzaffarnagar violence led to a huge loss of lives and property.
• We have seen communal violence in Kashmir and Assam in the past few months. And the government needs to take every step possible to deal with this violence.
• The government officers should deal with such incidents carefully.
• Local administration must respond promptly. It must take strong action against those who are behind communal violence.
• Anti-national forces are using small incidents to trigger communal violence.
• Anyone from any party found involved in such incidents will be punished.
• Government should do everything to act against those spreading communal violence, no matter how powerful they are.
• Can't let any weaker section feel that they are not part of the mainstream.
  
• It is a shameful matter that women are not treated properly.
• I am hopeful this meet will come up with good suggestions to deal with violence against women.
• A country can only progress if women can move around freely, make independent choices
• Must change mindsets to stop crimes against women.
• Social media has been used fan communal violence.
• Earlier social media was also used to trigger violence against people of the north-east.
• We must find a way to stop misuse of social media.

Nitish Kumar:

• Number of religious processions increasing. Yatras now being organised when they aren't meant to take place.
• There should be consensus that any religion procession of whatever religion .. All details should be organised before hand.. Many of them carrying weapons in hands and then resist police intervention.
• No religious processions should allow posters or placards or slogans against another religion.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan:

• Vote ab milegi development par, on vikas only, not minority appeasement and vote bank politics.
• Vikas vikas vikas can be the only mantra now for politicians.
• Like Maharashtra, we too want stringent laws
• I do not want to blame any chief minister. Madhya Pradesh has has communal harmony.
• Social media has its positives, but if it is misused, we need to rethink. The misuse should be stopped without obstructing freedom of the individual.
• If two leaders are there, they meet cordially. If (Narendra) Modi would be there, Nitish (Kumar) would have met him the same way as he met Advani.
• Everyone knows the growth rate of the NDA and the UPA. Madhya Pradesh has done has extremely well.

Omar Abdullah:

• This meeting should not be about closing the stable door after horse had bolted.
• It would have been useful to know what happened at previous NIC meetings
• What's the update on the communal violence bill?
• Kishtwar found mention in PM speech: unfortunately an area that has seen some communal trouble. I believe proximity to elections is the reason Kishtwar erupted. What happened in 2008 was sought to be recreated. Communal cards were played then, and same is happening now.
• There are people who are separatists. A handful of people will come out and shout slogans. But in this instance, the protesters were used to create greater trouble.
• We were able to contain situation. But my concern is attempt made by "reasonable people" to fan the flames.
• We need to measure our words. And let's be less hypocritical in our response.
• When you and Sonia Gandhi went to Uttar Pradesh, you were called "secular tourists". So what should we call those people who tried to go to Kishtwar? Should we call them "communal tourists" with their helicopter parked?

J Jayalalithaa:

• For a country that is just 67 years young, we have struggled to make our democracy work.
• Despite the challenges of pluralism, multi-ethnic divides and the schisms of caste, compounded by post Independence dangers namely, extremism, separatism and terrorism,  we have largely been successful in holding on to our political freedom and the democratic values enshrined in our Constitution.
• Despite this impressive record, a multitude of divisive forces are creating fault lines in the very fabric that binds our Nation and are threatening to abort her bid to reach the status of a superpower.
• Inimical external forces and misguided anti-social elements within the Country have always tried to add to our internal troubles.
• Some of the unrest is also fuelled by socio-economic factors. Unequal distribution of the benefits of economic growth with the perception that many sections of society have been left behind, marginalized and even unfairly exploited by those who have prospered have sharpened social divisions.
• The sharp deceleration of economic growth in the recent past and the persistent high inflation caused in substantial measure by the gross macro-economic mismanagement of the UPA Government at the Centre have also no doubt contributed to social tensions.
• The need of the hour is to develop an Indian identity that is founded on a scientific temper, social and economic equality, and a melding of our diverse faiths and cultural practices, which will truly integrate our diversity into unity.

Chandrababu Naidu:

• Telangana was created for political reasons.
• Congress is responsible for the instability in the state.
• I was not allowed to raise the issue in the NIC. If I cannot raise issue of national concern what is the use of the NIC?

Lalu Prasad Yadav

• I have asked all secular parties to come together in 2014. I see India being polarised before 2014.
• Amit Shah, who was the manager of Gujarat riots, is responsible for the Uttar Pradesh riots.
• He has now reached Bihar. I see riots across the country.