The Muslim community members in the State should equip themselves to secure their due rights including employment instead of choosing to blame the entire system, Kerala State Minority Commission chairman P.K. Haneefa has said.
Speaking at a seminar aimed at creating awareness among various Muslim organisations on the Kerala State Minorities Act 2014 here on Thursday, Mr. Haneefa said that they should make use of the numerous benefits offered to them by the Centre and the State government. A common refrain from the leaders of many Muslim organisations was that they were denied their rights, he pointed out.
Citing an example, Mr. Haneefa said that the Muslim community failed to use the opportunity given to them when the government started employment training centres throughout the State to coach the members of the minorities. These centres had been set up based on the Paloli Mohammed Kutty committee’s recommendations. However, the response had been lukewarm with the authorities even pleading with Mahal committees to enrol people in the centres. A few centres approached the Khateebs to make announcements about the facilities. The unfortunate truth was that some attended the centres for namesake while others quit mid-way of their training, he said.
Stress on education
Islam gave priority to merit, education and knowledge. Muslim organisations should spare time to take up the cause of educating the young generation of the community to equip themselves for competitive examinations including the tests conducted by the Public Service Commission, he said.
Mr. Haneefa said that each country had laws to protect minorities since the UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief in 1981. However, India enacted a statutory law – National Commission for Minorities Act – only in 1992. The Morarji Desai government had passed an order for the establishment of a Minorities Commission in 1978 , but the order had no statutory powers, he said.
Based on the Central Act, many states also framed their own laws. Kerala was one of the last States to bring in a legislation—four years ago after the intervention of the Supreme Court. Now, the State Minorities Commission had been involved in activities for the comprehensive educational advancement, welfare, protection and empowerment of minorities, he said.
The Commission had all the powers of a civil court to summon and enforce the attendance of any person from any part of the State and examine him on oath, require the discovery and production of any document, receive evidence on affidavits, demand any public record from any court, office or other institutions and also the examination of witnesses and inspection of records. It can also appoint any person to inquire into any incident, Mr. Haneefa added.
