On her 18 day visit to India as UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief, Asma Jehangir, renowned lawyer and human rights activist of Pakistan, found that India, although a secular country with sound religious legal framework, lags behind in meting-out justice to its religious minorities.
Jehangir, who visited Amritsar, Delhi, Jammu, Srinagar, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram, Bhubaneswar and Lucknow, for her study, hailed India for its democratic values and human rights activism.
She found that although the minorities agreed that there is a sound legal framework to protect religious freedom, yet they are dissatisfied with its implementations. There are undue delays in the investigations where communal riots are concerned. It is spreading disillusionment and dissent among the religious minorities.
In the past two decades there have been major incidents of religious violence; like the demolition of Babri Masjid, violence against Muslims in Gujarat in 2002, atrocities against Christians in Orissa last year, that have escalated out of proportion because of unheeded impunity given to the perpetrators and political parties using religion as a political tool to gain voter bank.
Jehangir warns if the situation is not checked soon, there might be another major communal violence looming in the near future. She hopes that active participation from the government and non-state actors can help to dispel dissatisfaction among the minorities and bring about a more conducive environment for all.
Source: SPCM
Comments
Minorities are always under threat to be killed by Hindu nationalists in communal riots at any point of time. the state government sometimes support the Hindu groups to kill minorities. Muslims are living life in dangerous environment in states like Gujarat and Maharashtra.
In the world dominated by Islamophobia, the Muslims prove to be the easy target of political propaganda. And with economic problems the need for enemy is also fulfilled by them.
Of course India needs to check the situation and make sure it keeps on being a pluralist society which has been its strength since its inception.
Jehangir may be correct, well for that matter the political parties have been playing the vote bank card. This problem is even with the Hindu majority in our country, which have been divided into various categories e.g. the OBCs, SCs and the STs.
So the main problem does not only concern the minorities, infact the reality is that the reserved classes representing the Hindu Majority have a representation right up to the parliament which is not the case with the minorities.
We must have a certain percentage of minorities’ representation in the parliament and mandatory provision for reserving seats for them just like seats are reserved for reserved classes whilst contesting elections.
As far as the investigations of communal riots are concerned, this problem is also confronted by other criminal matters i.e. the quantum of delay is even eminent there. The only remedy in the matters where the communal riots are involved is that they must be taken up by fast track courts. If these riots happen to occur at grass root levels then the mobile courts could be a remedy.
Woho!!! Arsalan when did you visit Gujarat or Maharashtra...probably something you saw over a PTV broadcast...and if you know about the aforesaid states u must have heard off Jamia in New Delhi.
Once our Cab Driver unintentionally hit a Muslim vegetable grocer in that area and atleast a 100 Muslims were ready to chop us all at one go. It was not before the cab driver parted away with 3 grands and rubbed his nose on the grocer’s feet, that we were allowed to go.
Just for your records: I am not a religious stickler and have never believed that a Muslim or a Hindu breathe differently. It’s just the colour given to these issues by political parties and nothing more. No religion preaches to kill. Sensationalist Media propagation is what made you think all that. We love Muslims just the way we love Hindu’s.
Don’t just write what you feel/think but mention what you personally experience.
I still remember the face of a Muslim youth begging with his folded hands not to kill him in Gujarat riots. I can’t forget the expression of fear on his face. It was your media, not the PTV, sent the images of that man throughout the world and made us aware what was going on against Muslims in Gujarat.
Asma Jehangir has clearly warned in her report that the situation needs urgent check otherwise it might cause a communal riot in near future. She has asked the government to work hard to make minorities feel that the government is there for them.
Thousands of Hindus get Killed in Kashmir courtesy of Pakistan supported terrorism, what do you have to say about those faces !!
I strongly second your stance, Atul. Communal riots originate from religious differences and shrewd political moves. Thus, to blame Hindus or Muslims for that matter would be inappropriate and senseless. Since Arsalan has initiated a baseless issue with no insight into the gravity of the topic, you are replying him in his way. Nothing wrong, he deserves such replies.
Hopefully that should put him off... Thanks Desh!!!
ATUL .
I will love to have soem souce of information about Kashmir proving that hundreds of Kashmiri Hindus were killed. I would be raelly grateful.
You would never find SOEM SOUCE anywhere except McDonalds...Y do u regret it here...Ole boy couldn’t play the devils advocate...someone told me.. Alas, the devil subsides!!
http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20060711/388440.html
Wont me spread it a lil more.. probably try google...They dont spare the muslims in Kashmir, Forget Hindus...
Asma Jahangir may be right in her own perception but I do not find any reason that cause / or intend to cause riot in my county that is India.
Zafrus Salam