LETTER TO THE CONGRESS PRESIDENT SONIA GANDHI ENCLOSING AIDE – MEMOIRE
July 18, 2004
Dear Madam,
I am enclosing herewith an Aide-Memoire on Jain Minority Recognition & Welfare in Consonance with Congress Policy and CMP on behalf of the Jain Minority Status Committee of the Dakshin Bharat Jain Sabha for your sumpathetic consideration.
We would like to lead a Delegation to present this formally to you in Delhi. I shall feel most grateful if you are kind enough to give us an appointment to meet you.
You were good enough to respond to me when I wrote to you in December 2003 regarding minority status for Jains in Maharashtra State. The Government of Maharashtra has since announced minority status for the Jain community. As detailed in the Aide-Memoire the point is that unless the Jain community is granted minority status on the national level as recommended by the National Minorities Commission the Jains, as a whole, in India will not be able to benefit from the welfare package for the minorities envisaged by the CMP.
Please accept my congratulations on your being conferred with the Doctorate by the Punjab University. I have enclosed the text of the speech in French delivered by respected Indiraji accepting Honorary Doctoral degree at the Sorbonne University in 1981 at the hands of Dr.Mme. Colette Caillat, the then Rector.
Dr. Mme. Caillat-an octogenarian now- venerable Member of the Institut de France had kindly sent me a copy then. I may mention humbly that I am privileged to be a co-author with Dr.Mme Caillat of Jainism (published in 1974).
I have enclosed a copy of my speech on “Why Jainism should be declared a Minority?” delivered at the 12th Biennial JAINA (Federation of Jain Associations of North America) Convention, held on July 3-6 at Cincinnati-Dayton, Ohio for your kind perusal.
With kind regards,
Yours sincerely,
(Bal Patil)
Smt. Sonia Gandhi,
President Indian National Congress &
Chairperson, National Advisory Council of the
Common Minimum Programme,
New Delhi
Encl.