A two-day Muslim youth conference will begin in the city from Sunday to discuss the issues pertaining Muslims comprehensively and suggest measures to address them.
Organised by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), it would focus on the theme, “Secularism, empowerment and progressiveness”, according to Muneer Katipalla, DYFI State president.
Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, he said that the Muslim community was facing challenges from within and outside.
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The Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee had placed Indian Muslims below Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in backwardness. It was so in the education, employment, health and economic sectors.
He said that a majority of areas in which Muslims lived have become like slums. Local civic bodies have not been showing interest to provide infrastructure to such areas.
The Union and State governments have been reserving meagre fund in their annual budgets for the welfare of Muslims.
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Society has not been treating them fairly, by looking at their food habits and dress code with suspicion. They have been facing humiliation in many sectors of society. If Muslims have been suffering from poverty on the one hand, they are becoming victims of increasing communalism on the other.
He said that Muslims were now in a crisis as the government in several States have been arresting what he claimed were innocent Muslim youths on the charge that they were supporting terrorism.
With delay in the disposal of cases, such youths have been spending their valuable life in jails. Some extremists have also been misusing some disgusted youth for their activities.
Mr. Katipalla said that there were certain pre-conceived notions about Muslims. The conference would also focus on removing them.
National president of DYFI Mohammed Riyas would inaugurate the conference at Shanti Nilaya, Balmatta. Writers Ramzan Darga, Banu Mushtaq, N.A.M. Ismail, Rahmat Tarikere, Dinesh Ameen Mattu, B.M. Bashir and Phaniraj K. would speak on different topics.
In addition, G.V. Srirama Reddy, leader of the CPI (M), Muzaffar Assadi, a political analyst, B. Peer Basha, social activist, and others would also speak.
He said that as the youth were active in social media engaging in discussion the focus of the conference would be on them.