Home Ministry was responding to a query in Lok Sabha on National Integration Council. Team
The National Integration Council, an apex body mandated to fight communalism, casteism, regionalism and parochialism, has not met for nearly eight years, ever since the Narendra Modi-led government came to power at the centre.
"Meetings of the National Integration Council are convened as per requirement from time to time. There is no regular or specified time interval for convening meeting of the NIC," the Ministry of Home Affairs informed Lok Sabha today.
The written reply by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, also stated that the last meeting of the Council was held on September 23, 2013 -- when the Congress-led UPA was in power. "However issues of communal harmony and national integration are addressed continuously by the government," Mr Rai added in the reply.
According to a background note of the Council on the Home Ministry website, then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru convened the National Integration Conference in 1961 to find ways to combat the evils of communalism, casteism, regionalism, linguism and narrow-mindedness, and to formulate definite conclusions in order to give a lead to the country. This conference decided to set up a National Integration Council to review all matters pertaining to national integration and make recommendations. The Council was constituted accordingly and held its first meeting in 1962.
The Council has held 16 meetings so far. Issues such as Kashmir and Punjab problems, the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, role and responsibility of the media, equitable development and removal of regional imbalances, promotion of feeling of security among minorities and other vulnerable sections and safety of women have been discussed at these meetings.