Nation needs to be cautious on present state of affairs
Citing recent media reports on conversions of Muslims and Christians in the name of “ghar wapsi”,SYYED MANSOOR AGHA reminds the nation of the rights and safeguards ensured to minorities and underlines the need to revisit them.
Recent media reports on conversions of Muslims and Christians have raised the issue of safeguard of minorities in a multi-cultural and multi-religious nation like India. Till now, the major problem of Indian minorities was twofold – lack of safety and discriminatory treatment. Now the age-old dimension of conversion, which was better known as “Shudhdi” movement in British India, is now being rechristened as “ghar wapsi” or back to home.
The Hindutva forces are pleading that what happened in Agra and elsewhere is not conversion but “ghar wapsi”. They say that forefathers of those who have been trapped for conversion were converted to Islam or Christianity. What we are doing is their return to the Hindu fold. This is creating a new sense of insecurity in poor sections of society and is agitating minds of all communities. This is being done at a time when the world is preparing to observe “Minorities Rights Day” on 18 December. The day is observed to remind us of “true rights of minorities” in a civilized society.
The population of every nation comprises different ethnic, linguistic and religious groups. Some groups are in small numbers. The State is duty bound to provide all the rights for the minorities irrespective of their population and religion.
Providing an equal right for minorities is considered a true hallmark of a democracy. There are hundreds of instances in the world when a particular minority group had to suffer because of the policy of discrimination. Though our Constitution provides exemplary rights for and guarantees best safeguards to minorities yet it is an acknowledged fact that our democratic governments have failed rather miserably to fulfil their responsibilities towards ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. The present dispensation seems to be most careless in this matter and looks to be in utter haste to implement its agenda of “Hindutva”. In the present atmosphere masses have failed to understand that such a move will prove ultimately harmful and devastative for the health of our nation.
To deal with such situations and to stop all types of discrimination against minorities, the United Nations adopted and promulgated the Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Linguistic and Religious Minorities. The UN declared:
“States shall protect the existence of the national or ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity of minorities within their respective territories and encourage conditions for the promotion of that identity.”
This declaration is an effort to protect minorities yet we need to raise the issue in the current emergency-like situation. Therefore, in the present context the Minority Rights Day has become a very important day in India. Though our Constitution and law books cite equal rights for all citizens, irrespective of their cast, creed and religion, pertinent issues regarding minority rights keep creeping in. In the present scenario, danger to secular fabric is unprecedented as it is threatening the very process of progress. We need to be more alert and double our efforts to make our country a safe place for all weaker sections.
The National Commission for Minorities celebrates the Minority Rights Day every year on 18 December. It is important to revisit rights and safeguards ensured to minorities in our law books and resolve to implement the same. The commission needs to play its role more tactfully and minorities need to understand their duty. As Muslims, we have a divine charter of our rights and duties. Islam has given full protection to non-Muslim residents of the Islamic Society. The need of the hour is to tell the world by our practice too how to treat minorities.