White paper on minorities likely

The budget session gets under way with the tabling of The Economic Survey

A white paper on the status of minority communities, a comprehensive law to deal with communal violence, a model code of governance for civil servants, and the acknowedgement of growing ties between India and Israel as well as a ratification of a "look east policy" in foreign affairs were the highlights of President APJ Abdul Kalam's address to the joint session of Parliament. The speech was otherwise full of economic policy initiatives.

It was not enough for "India to shine if it did not shine for all", the President said. That the speech reieterated the contention that India must shine for all under a more inclusive government was a decisive statement against the six years of NDA rule and the arrival of the UPA government.

While the speech was a little sparse on the ground with regard to non-economic matters, yet the white paper on the status of minorities and a strong statement on the restoration of democracy in Nepal made it a significant policy statement for the government.

In a bid to smoothen ruffled feathers of countries in the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (Saarc) over the pulling out of the Indian Prime Minister from the Dhaka meet, the President spoke of the "warm" relationship shared by India and Bangladesh as well as the strong commitment to Saarc that India felt.

While the joint statement made by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New York had left out the word terrorism, the President made up for it by warning that despite the recent thaw in Indo-Pak relationship, Pakistan must fulfil its assurance that it would end all support to terrorism.

A particularly significant statement in the Presidential address was the "high importance" given to "friendly relations with Israel" and the hope that it strengthens and diversifies.

A statement that came in for strong criticism by the Left parties, which felt that it rendered a previous statement committed to the formation of a Palestinian state diluted.

"We are concerned about the formulation of the statement on Israel as it would affect are relationship with several countries in the middle east," said Nilotpal Basu of the CPM.

The speech also commended the dovetailing of India's diplomatic efforts with ensuring energy security for the country "" an obvious referrence to the Iran-Pakistan-India oil pipeline.

Apart from lauding the repeal of Pota, the President's speech concentrated on what he termed as a"new deal for rural India".

However, he had strong words on the subject of a model code of good governance for public servants.

"A comprehensive reform of administration and administrative procedures is being drawn up," said President Kalam.

The President's speech was a statement on the UPA government's agenda for the next year which appears to have put it on a collision course with its own ally the Left not to mention the opposition BJP.