The Department of Political Science of Aligarh Muslim University is organising a two-day national seminar on “Minority Rights in India: Vision and Reality” on Nov 14-15, 2011. A number of renowned scholars, academics, jurists, policy makers, analysts, practitioners, civil society representatives, and researchers will participate in the event to discuss the veracity of minority rights in India from inter-disciplinary perspective.
Dr. Aftab Alam, the Director of the seminar talked about the negligence of both centre and state governments with regards to the issues of the minority community, particularly the Muslim community. He claimed that the Article 30 under the Indian Constitution which ensures educational development of minorities is perhaps the most flouted and undermined article. Despite all the Constitutional safeguards, minorities in India face discrimination, and the violations of their rights take place frequently. Muslim minority in particular, he claimed, is suffering from the development deficit, which was also highlighted by the Sachar Committee report. The most common problem that minorities face is that they do not get the NOC for the establishment of educational institutions and similar hassles come their way when it comes to getting recognition or affiliation, he said.
Issues like secularism, religious conversion and freedom of religion, communal riots/pogroms and minorities’ right to physical existence, the role of state and police during communal violence, role of National Commission for Minorities and National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, empowerment of minorities and questions of reservation and educational and cultural rights of minorities are expected to be discussed in the seminar.
Justice M.S.A. Siddiqui, Chairman, National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions is likely to inaugurate the seminar. The other prominent speakers will include Mrs. Faouzia Khan, Minister of State for Minority Development, Govt. of Maharashtra, Mr. Syed Shahabuddin, former diplomat and Member of Parliament and President, All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat and Maulana Mohammad Fazlurrahim Mujaddadi, Rector, Jameatul Hidaya, Jaipur, etc.