The Hindu : Naidu promises full protection to Muslims

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 30, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Naidu promises full protection to Muslims

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD Dec. 29. The fundamental duty of any government is to protect its citizens and create conditions for peace and prosperity, said the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, while speaking at the valedictory session of the two-day convention of the American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin here on Sunday.

Mr. Naidu assured Muslims of complete protection from communal violence and said that his Government would not allow anti-social elements to disturb the long reign of communal harmony in the State.

Accepting that poverty and illiteracy were more among the minorities, he promised greater efforts to remove educational backwardness and unemployment among them. He said that educating minority children formed an important part of the Government's literacy plan and added that whatever extra infrastructure was necessary to bring minority children to school would be provided.

In the past few years, the Government had removed reservations in the appointment of Urdu teachers and filled up many posts. New schools are being opened and older ones upgraded in areas where Muslims lived.

Listing the many initiatives in economic and social reforms in the State, Mr. Naidu said that minorities should form equal partners in this march of progress. Earlier, welcoming the Chief Minister, Syed Salman, treasurer of AFMI, spoke about their efforts at promoting education among the Muslims and requested Mr. Naidu to provide reservations for Muslims students in educational institutions like in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. He also wanted a commission to look into all the different facets of educational backwardness of Muslims.

Mr. Salman proposed that the Government should institute a "Madrasa Education Board'' which would grant affiliation to madrasas and implement a "modern'' educational syllabus in them. He also appealed to the madrasas to cooperate in this endeavour to modernise and make their education more relevant to the modern job market.

Speaking on the occasion, A.R. Nakadar, secretary general, AFMI, warned that the forces of Hindutva, which he differentiated from "the great religion'' Hinduism, will devour India, if not checked in time. He said that the very notion of pluralism is fast disappearing and the country's multi-ethnic culture is under attack.

He said that India's political leadership has to show vision and courage to take on extremist and chauvinist forces head on and called on the people not to be misled by political interests using religion for attaining power.

Presented award

Mr. Naidu was also presented with the AFMI's "Pride of India'' award which consisted of a crown and a plaque. AFMI's National Integration, Peace and Communal Harmony award was given to the Gujrat MLA, Baldevji Thakur, Gujrat transporter Belim Yousuf Rasool Mian and Siasat editor, Zahid Ali Khan.

According to the citation, Mr. Thakur saved many Muslims families from certain death during the communal riots there. Not only did he give shelter to such families, he confronted mobs on the roads and ensured that they do not indulge in killings in his tehsil. He contested the recent Assembly elections on the basis of his work and defeated the incumbent finance minister of Gujarat.

Similarly, Mr. Rasool Mian helped Hindu families escape from an area where they were surrounded by Muslim families and were fearful of their security. Mr. Khan received the award for organising relief for the riot victims in Gujarat.

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