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PM-elect pledges to defend minorities

AFP, New Delhi
India's incoming prime minister Manmohan Singh set the tone yesterday for his left-leaning government by pledging to defend the poor and make peace with Pakistan and between religious minorities.
Singh, who is set to be sworn in as India's first Sikh premier tomorrow to replace the Hindu nationalist Atal Behari Vajpayee, said he had "no doubt of the stability of this government" which will rely on communist support.
The economist is closely identified with ending decades of economic protectionism, incurring the wrath of the left, when he served as finance minister from 1991 to 1996.
Singh said his government will continue talks with separatists in insurgency-torn Kashmir and "explore all possible opportunities to bring peace and progress to this state."
Singh, an Oxford-educated former professor and civil servant who did little campaigning during the
election, was propelled into India's top job after it was turned down by Sonia Gandhi, the president of his Congress party.
Singh said India needed "a strong public and private sector" and rejected selloffs of profitable state-run indus-triesincluding oil and gas firms.
"The interest of workers must be protected. A large number of workers have been added to the pool of unemployment. It is not good," Singh said.
He pledged new investment in rural areas to make "the 21st century India's century."
The Mumbai Stock Exchange slipped marginally on the comments by Singh, although industry has largely backed him believing he will manage the economy effectively.
The coalition is still thrashing out a common programme between the disparate parties to set the agenda for the government.
Singh later went to the home of Sonia, who remains the influential head of the Congress party, to work
out cabinet appointments.
The prime minister-designate, who will be the first religious minority to lead the country that is more than 80 percent Hindu, pledged that intercommunity bloodshed would not be allowed to recur.
He expressed "concern" about "inordinate delays in court cases" over anti-Muslim riots that killed 2,000 people in the Hindu nationalist-ruled state of Gujarat two years ago.
"To strengthen development, we have to create an environment of peace," he said.
He also regretted anti-Sikh riots in 1984 following the assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi, mother-in-law of Sonia Gandhi, by her own bodyguards amid a Sikh separatist campaign.
"We are the most tolerant civilization and we cannot divide people on the basis of religion and race," he said.