The State Minorities Commission held a meeting titled “Minority and Majority Meet 2009” here on Thursday evening.
Highlighting the points discussed at the meeting at a press conference here on Friday, Chairman of the commission Khusro Quraishi said that an air of bonhomie and mutual respect prevailed at the meeting.
Representatives, a majority of whom were from Muslim organisations and a few Christian organisations, were asked to react to the various issues such as cow slaughter, religious conversions and inter-community romantic relationships at the meeting, which was presided over by leaders of the sangh parivar and other Hindutva organisations.
Sathyajith Surathkal from the Hindu Jagran Vedike, Puranik from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Jagdish Shenva from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were the moderators at the meeting, in addition to Mr. Quraishi.
Responding to criticisms that were conveyed to the media by a few participants at the meeting, Mr. Quraishi denied charges that the event’s agenda was hijacked by the sangh parivar.Mr. Quraishi said that although some of the so-called contentious issues raised at the meeting were guaranteed by the Constitution, they needed to be discussed in the larger interest of communal harmony.
