Constitutional, Social Commitment Of Indians, Especially Majority Community, Ensured Rights Of Minorities Are Safe: Naqvi

The Constitutional and social commitment of the Indians, especially the majority community, has ensured that socio-economic-educational, religious and other rights of minorities are absolutely safe and secure in the country, Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Saturday (19 December).

Naqvi was addressing the “Minorities Day Celebration” programme organised by the National Commission for Minorities in New Delhi on Saturday.

The minister also said that the “Talibani mentality” on women's liberty, dignity, empowerment and constitutional equality will not be tolerated in India, according to a Minority Affairs Ministry release.

He said that those who opposed making the social evil of Triple Talaq a crime or raised question on removal of restriction on Muslim women to perform Haj with Mehram only and now creating commotion on the Constitutional equality regarding age of marriage of women are “Professional Protesters” of essence of the Indian Constitution.

Naqvi further said that the Government has demolished “Duping Appeasement” by “Determination to Development with Dignity”.

He said that while on one hand, believers of almost all religions of the world live in India; on the other hand, a large number of atheists also exist in the country with dignity and equal constitutional and social rights.

The minister said that the Modi government has worked with the commitment to “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas” during the last seven years which has ensured significant reforms and inclusive development of all sections of the society including the minorities.

Naqvi lauded the role played by National Commission for Minorities in safeguarding the interests and ensuring the welfare of minorities in the country.

He said that the Government has provided a credible platform to indigenous artisans and craftsmen from every corner of the country through “Hunar Haat”.

More than 7 lakh artisans, craftsmen and people associated with them have been provided employment and employment opportunities during the last six years.

Naqvi said the Government, after 2014, has given scholarships to about 5 crore students from six notified Minority communities - Parsis, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians and Muslims.

About 50 per cent beneficiaries are girl students. It has resulted into significant decline in school dropout rate among minorities especially Muslim girls. School dropout rate among Muslim girls which was more than 70 per cent before 2014, has now come down to less than about 30 per cent. Our aim is to make it zero per cent in the coming days, he added.

He said the government has provided employment and self-employment opportunities to more than 12 lakh Minority communities’ people during the last seven years.

The government has developed more than 49 thousand major infrastructures such as schools, colleges, ITIs, polytechnics, degree colleges, residential schools, drinking water and toilet facilities, anganwadi centres, skill development centres, common service centres etc in deprived areas across the country under “Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karykram” (PMJVK) during the last 7 years, the ministry said.

Naqvi further said that the Minorities have also been immensely benefitted from various schemes of the Central Government.

About 22 to 37 per cent beneficiaries of “Mudra Yojana”, “Jan Dhan Yojana”, “Ayushman Bharat Yojana”, “Kisaan Samman Nidhi”, “Ujjwala Yojana”, “Swacch Bharat Mission”, drinking water and electricity schemes belong to the weaker and backward Minorities.