National

Muslims welcome thaw

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi May 31. A leading Muslim organisation has welcomed the thaw in the India-Pakistan relationship and has hoped that necessary "follow-up actions'' would be taken to take the peace process forward.

The hope was expressed at the two-day convention of the All India Milli Council.

The former Chief Justice of India, Justice A.M. Ahmadi, presided over the first day's deliberations on the "challenges before the nation and minorities in Independent India''.

Others who took part in the discussion included the Socialist leader, Rabi Ray, the Samajwadi Party general secretary, Amar Singh, the CPI leader, Chaturanan Mishra, the former Chief Minister of Punjab, Rajinder Kumar Bhattal, and others.

Justice Ahmadi exhorted that no section of society should be deprived of modern education, and expressed the view that "religious teachings were fine but it should go hand in hand with other important training".

Arguing that the Indian Constitution provided enough safeguards for the protection of citizens human rights, Justice Ahmadi said the official machinery should live up these constitutional obligations.

There was a pattern, according to him, of "participation of official machinery against the minorities'' in Bombay, Sikh riots in Delhi, and last year's Gujarat riots.

Other speakers emphasised the need for a concerted response from the citizens against this tendency of official collusion with the rioter.

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