By TCN News,
Aligarh: On the occasion of International Day for Minorities, a symposium on the 'Rights of minorities and our Responsibilities' was organised by the Minority Welfare Department of Aligarh at Collect orate auditorium.
Speaking on this occasion, Chief Guest of the program MLA Zafar Alam, said that due to the shortage of standard educational institutions, Muslims are lagging behind in educational field. A fund has been provided by the government to open a school in Bhojpura area of the city. Besides this the government has started many welfare schemes for the minorities but due to the cold response by the official missionary the required benefit is not reaching to the poor.
Brochure being released by Dr. Shakeel Samdani, Zafar Alam, D.M. and C.D.O.
Law faculty at the Aligarh Muslim University, Dr. Shakeel Samdani said that the Muslims must involve themselves in community work and force the government machinery to implement the welfare schemes launched by the central as well as state government. They must devote their time, energy and money for the upliftment of the community.
He said that although the Muslims are the largest minority among minorities they are not getting the benefit in that proportion. Other minorities, especially Christians and Sikhs are the largest beneficiaries of the government welfare schemes, this is proved by the statistics available. Dr. Samdani further said that it is the duty of the state to provide education in the mother tongue but legally speaking, nobody can open an Urdu medium school in U.P. This should be stopped and the legal hurdle should be removed.
Expert of minority issues, Dr. Mohibul Haq of the Dept. of Political Science, AMU said that the International Minority Day is the day when we have to discuss the government's attitude towards minorities and critically analyse the implementation of government sponsored welfare schemes in the state. He said that justice with minorities is the constitutional right of minorities and it is the duty of the state to restore their rights to them. He further said that the state government should open standard school on the patter of Navodaya Vidyalaya in Muslim dominated area of Aligarh.
Senior faculty of AMU, Prof. Afzal Ahmad said that International Minority Day is the day for introspection for the minorities. Chief Development Officer, Shamim Ahmad, while explaining the welfare schemes of the government, said that in Aligarh district preferential treatment is being given to the schemes relating to education and health.
Presiding over the symposium, District Magistrate, Rajeev Rautela said that the government sponsored schemes will be implemented on priority basis and the progress of 15 point program will be reviewed every month and for that purpose more public representative will be co-opted. The D.M. also informed the audience that Aligarh is on top in implementing government schemes which can be verified form the official website of the government.
In this symposium Osmand Charles, Jassu Sherwani, Ajju Ishaq, Mahanagar President Samajwadi Party, Dr. Masood Ahmad, Secretary U.P. Rabita Committee, Ahmad Saeed, Ghulzar Ahmad, Syed Sajid Hasan, Alias Jonny Bhai expressed their views. On this occasion a brochure of government schemes issued by Minority Welfare and Waqf Department was released by the dignitaries sitting on the dais.
In the last beneficiaries under marriage and sickness schemes were provided cheques.