Social Democratic Party of India

The Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), has hailed the Supreme Court interim order granting 4 per cent reservation to Other Backward Classes of Muslims of Andhra Pradesh in government jobs and educational institutions.

     The SDPI general secretary A. Sayeed in a statement said that this is a welcome move, though belatedly, by the highest court of the country and will go a long way in ameliorating the woes of Muslims of Andhra Pradesh. It would have been better if the Supreme Court had extended the implication of its interim order not only to Other Backward Classes of Muslims of Andhra Pradesh but its benefits percolated to all Muslims of the state in general.

Sayeed said that the State Government as well as the Central Government should provide reservation for 15 years to backward members of the Muslim community as well as other categories of Muslims so that they could come in the mainstream and enjoy the fruits of development like others. This would help empower them.

     The Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh Government should have prepared the reservation Bill with utmost care so that it did not hit the roadblock and come under the prying eyes of the judiciary and get entangled in legal acrimony. If proper care had been taken in the beginning then the Andhra Muslims would not have been deprived of their constitutional rights for so long, the statement said.

     Meanwhile, the SDPI statement has also welcomed the senior Congress leader and former HRD Minister Arjun Singh’s stand vouching for reservations to Muslims and Christians as recommended by the Justice (Retd.) Ranganath Mishra Commission.

     It may be mentioned here that Arjun Singh in an interview to a news agency on Wednesday last had said: “We cannot just sleep over it (report on reservation to Muslims & Christians). Well, I think the party always has special concern for those sections of the people…….”

The Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), appreciates Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram for allaying fears of world's sporting fraternity of security fears in the upcoming major sports events in India in the backdrop of bombing in Pune on February 13 and alleged new threats which raised fresh concerns over security.
The reported statement of Chidamabaram that India will provide full protection to every player, every coach, every official who participates in the forthcoming World Cup Hockey, IPL cricket and Commonwealth Games should reassure the sporting nations who are scheduled to send their teams in these events.

The reported warning of Pakistan-based extremist Al-Qaeda-linked militant Ilyas Kashmiri about attacking sports events in India is most reprehensible and will be condemned by one and all. It should be remembered that international sport events are medium of forging peace, coordination and cooperation between nations since time immemorial. The Government's resolve to provide fool-proof security to one and all connected with these sporting events is laudable and should be supported so that the image of India remains untarnished.

Meanwhile, the SDPI is happy to note that Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith is satisfied with the security measures taken by India to ensure the safety of Australian players during the forthcoming Commonwealth Games following terror threats by Al-Qaeda-linked militants. Similarly, Pakistan security agencies have given a thumbs up to the security arrangements made for the World Cup Hockey tournament in New Delhi beginning on February 28. These indicators go on to show Chidambaram's commitment towards sportspersons’ safety and his allaying of fears are not mere words.

The SDPI hopes and prays to the Almighty that everything passes off peacefully without any untoward incident so that the so-called designs of militants are frustrated.



PRESS RELEASE
New Delhi
19 February 2010

Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), is aghast to learn the deadly blast in Pune on Saturday which claimed nine innocent lives and left 50 injured. This cowardly act is the handiwork of anti-national forces which are bent upon to disturb communal harmony of the nation and bring bad name to it in the eyes of the world. These forces with vested interests want to derail India from the path of progress so that it does not stand among the developed nations.

The SDPI condemns the blast in the strongest term possible and hopes that the investigating agencies’ probe into the case would not be on beaten track of charging Muslim youth immediately for the heinous crime. The investigations should be with an open mind and fair taking into account all leads in the case.

Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), is stunned at the brutal murder of Advocate Shahid Azmi of Mumbai, who was defending one of the co-accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the accused in the Mumbai train serial blasts and other terror related cases in which Muslim youths have been arrested.

The SDPI believes that Shahid Azmi was bumped off for being ‘anti-establishment’ and ‘anti-police’. It allegedly seems that the only people who could have had a motive in getting rid of Azmi were the police. He was the only lawyer who had the maximum cases showing that the police were fabricating evidence against Muslim community, especially the youth. 

It is unfortunate to state that a prominent lawyer who worked selflessly, tirelessly for the cause of oppressed Muslims was under threat for over a year but he was not provided security cover by the Maharashtra Government. It is a murder most foul.

The prophecy that he would die a martyr came true as Shahid himself used to say to his family and friends: "I would die a shaheed”.

It would be in the fitness of things that the Maharashtra Government should order for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation and approach the Central Government for the same. The accused should be nabbed at the earliest and handed over exemplary punishment. This would re-instill confidence among the minorities who are disillusioned by the present regime’s uncaring attitude towards it.

The Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), feels greatly relieved that at long last saner counsel has prevailed over the issue of commercial release of genetically modified, (GM), Bt. Brinjal with the Indian Government saying a big no to it. Kudos to the Union Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh who took the "precautionary approach" because of sharp divisions among Indian scientists.

The SDPI hails this step and congratulates Ramesh to impose a moratorium on the release of Bt. Brinjal till independent scientific studies satisfy both public and professionals "the safety of the product from the point of view of long-term impact on human health and environment”.

It is good to observe that the minister has given due thought to the deep concerns expressed not only of green activists and farmers but the governments of 11 states which account for most of India's Brinjal output. These state governments had bitterly opposed the introduction of Bt. Brinjal.

The SDPI was very much opposed to Bt. Brinjal being introduced commercially. it SDPI hopes that this good step towards charting the path for sustainable agriculture and food security for our country would be honored in letter and spirit and no spurious Bt. Brinjal seeds make their way into India.