State must keep tab on hot-headed fringe elements: Minority leaders

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: “The chief aim of the governments must be to ensure that no one will be afraid to self-identify as a member of a minority,” Harminder Singh, Working Committee Member of Gurudwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, said during the Minority Day celebrated at Karnataka Minority Development Corporation Bhavan on Sunday.

Minority Rights Day is observed every year on December 18 in order to promote awareness about the importance of helping an individual's Rights belonging to Religious or Linguistic National or Ethnic Minorities.

The event was organised by the Karnataka State Minorities Commission (KSMC) which had invited leaders and important personalities from the six minority communities including Muslim, Christian, Jains, Buddhist, Sikh, and Parsees in Bengaluru.

Addressing the gathering, the members came forward and spoke about the issues faced by the people from their communities and sought help from Abdul Azeem, chairman of the Minority Commission, in bringing these issues to the notice of both State and the Central governments.

“If the government is collecting taxes from us, it is its obligatory function to provide protection to us,” Harminder Singh added. Harry D’souza, a wellknown name in the Christian community for his activism, said that no person can be forcefully converted to another religion. He said that every person has the right to practice his own religion.

“It is a matter of concern that the rights of minorities are being trampled by several hot-headed fringe elements wearing saffron shawls. The government, instead of supporting them, must keep a tab on their activities,” he said.

Reverend Bishop David and Dr Matilda D’Souza, a former member of the KSMC, too voiced their concerns about the communities being misjudged and dealt with an iron fist, depriving them of basic facilities from the government. Mohammed Farooq Faizan from Koramangala Mosque said that there is a need to bring in a system which is equal to everyone irrespective of the caste.

Kanthilal Jain, from the Jain community thanked the State Minority Commission for holding a session and standing by the rights of the people. Vajira, from the Buddhist community, spoke about the grievances faced by their community while attempting to procure Identity documents from the government officials here.

While thanking the successive state government for its contribution towards the upliftment of the communities socially, educationally and economically, Abdul Azeem, KSMC chairman, assured to bring the unsolved issues faced by the minorities to the notice of the Union Minister Smriti Irani in the first week of January in Delhi.