India's Union Minister of Steel, Chemicals & Fertilizers Ram Vilas Paswan called for a social and political alliance between Muslims and Dalits, who often share pain and tragedy together. He also called for proportional budgetary allocation for the welfare of minorities, while stressing the need for a time-bound policy of reservation for increasing minorities’ representation in government services as well as banks, public and private sector organizations.

Paswan, who is also the chairman of Dalit and Minorities International Forum (DMIF), was speaking at a glittering reception hosted by Mohammed Adil, CEO of Geant Saudi Ltd, here on Wednesday night. The minister will be the chief guest at the flag-hoisting ceremony at the Indian Embassy today. The reception was also attended by Ambassador M.O.H. Farook, noted journalist Qurban Ali and a group of 200 prominent Indians including Nadeem Tarin, Afzal Sanai and Dr. Dilnawaz Roomi.

Paswan, who was unanimously re-elected president of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) for a period of three years for the third time by the party’s national executive recently, is currently visiting the Kingdom. The minister, who was felicitated by Baswas — a forum of Indians hailing from the eastern Indian state of Bihar — was also the chief guest at the annual Sir Syed Day function organized by alumni of India’s Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Riyadh last night.

Paswan is a towering personality in Indian politics. In 1975, when emergency was proclaimed in India, he was arrested and spent the entire period in jail. In a wide-ranging interview on the occasion of the Republic Day of India, Minister Paswan said that “there is a great potential between India and Saudi Arabia to cooperate in different sectors.” While reaffirming his support, he called on Saudi and Indian businessmen to come out with business proposals in different sectors including chemicals and fertilizers, the ministry of which is headed by Paswan. He expressed great happiness to see Indian businessmen and workers doing very well in Saudi Arabia.

Referring to the international conference on Dalits, Muslims and minorities, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi recently, Paswan said that “I have been making a plea to provide reservations to Muslims not only in government jobs but in the private sector and security forces too.” “A resolution to this effect was adopted at the end of the two-day conference, which was attended by more than 300 delegates from over 30 countries” he said.

He said that “we have decided that the international conference on Dalits and Muslims would be held every two years in a foreign country and a minimum of six state conferences would precede each global meet.” The New Delhi meeting, he said, has also appointed 27 conveners for 23 countries, including Saudi Arabia, the US, India, UK, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Sri Lanka, Japan, Singapore, Pakistan, Canada, Germany, Belgium, New Zealand and Australia.

In the interview, Paswan renewed his call for reservations to be given to minorities and Dalits in government jobs in proportion to their population in the country with a view to improving their economic, social and educational conditions. Appreciating the Sachar Committee report on the condition of Muslims, the LJP chief said that “the Dalit and minority issue has become a national agenda. No one can ignore it any longer.”

Referring to the future course of action, he said that the second conference on minorities and Dalits will be held in the United States in 2008 and the third one in London in 2010. He said that “there is an urgent need to strengthen the hands of Dalits and minorities including Muslims, who represent some 40 percent of India’s population.” The LJP leader also called for unbiased and objective treatment by all government agencies in matters concerning Dalits and minorities.

He said that an alliance between Muslims and Dalits will be provide a strong political front. Paswan, added that the Dalit Sena is also functional. Dalit Sena, which is also led by Paswan, has emerged as a broad-based social organization mainly in north India. The Sena was founded by Paswan himself in 1983 with an aim to ensure social justice and to bring out structural social change in Indian society.

“I seek more support and urgent response on the issues of minorities reservation from my government,” said Paswan. Asked about the political situation of his native state Bihar, Paswan said that “there is urgent need for a political and social change in the state, which has gone from bad to worse on every front.”

“I am the only one, who raised the demand for appointing a Muslim chief minister in Bihar,” said the LJP chief.

In the interview, Paswan also spoke about his ministry’s achievements. He said that his ministry has announced plans to revive the fertilizer units that were closed down during the previous regime. His ministry has formed a committee to revive at least six units closed at Haldia, Durgapur, Barauni, Sindri, Gorakhpur and Talcher. The ministry has given Rs. 4.4 billion revival package for Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Limited (BCPL).

The Indian Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers is also setting up Petrochemicals, Pharmaceuticals Investment and Research (PCPIR) hubs in various regions across the country, which will attract investments worth more than Rs. 600 billion. The proposal to set up PCPIR hubs have been approved by a group of ministers (GOM) and would be placed in the Cabinet soon. The visit of Paswan to Saudi Arabia is also important keeping in view the growing business relations between the two countries.

The Indian government has announced an expansion plan for government sector undertakings involved in the production of steel and particularly Steel Authority of India Limited. The minister said that in the next few years SAIL would become the biggest company in India. Plans are also afoot to expland the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited.

Paswan, of late, has emerged as a major force in Indian politics. In 1977, when released from jail after emergency, he became a member of the Janata Party and won election to the Indian Parliament for the first time on its ticket. He was re-elected to the 7th Lok Sabha in 1980. In 1983, he established the Dalit Sena.

But, in the Nov. 2005 Bihar state elections, Paswan’s third-alliance was utterly decimated; the Lalu Yadav-Congress alliance reduced to a minority and the NDA formed the new government.