Skip to main content

Gujarat meet to demand anti-lynching legislation: Budget 'quiet' on minorities

Nitin Patel, finance minister
By A Representative
The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC), a Gujarat-based civil rights organisation, will be holding a state-level conference to demand from the Gujarat government to come up with a separate legislation to prevent rising incidents of lynchings. Proposed to be called Minorities (Prevention of Atrocities) Bill, MCC will hold a meeting on July 18 in Gandhinagar with the participation of minority rights activists and experts.
MCC convener Mujahid Nafees told CV News, "We have approached the political parties to send their legislators for the consultation in order to elicit their opinion." To take place at the Ambedkar Hall in Sector 12 of the state capital, the meet is being held amidst Gujarat budget allegedly providing no solace for the minorities. Nafees regretted, finance minister Nitin Patel's budget speech does not even mention minorities.
An MCC statement said, minorities in Gujarat, forming 11.5% of the population, live in constant fear because of the ruling party's "discriminatory" attitude. Those transporting buffaloes are attacked by cow vigilantes. The slogan of Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao is proving to be fake, with Muslim girls' school dropout rate at the primary level (classes 1-5) being 10.58%. Yet there is no concrete action on this.
MCC added, there is no minorities commission in Gujarat to listen to the complaints of the minorities, even though such commissions exist at the Centre and other states. This is a "clear example" of discrimination against minorities. In fact, minorities in Gujarat are "not entitled" to those rights which are available in other states.

Comments

TRENDING

Small Farm, big success: How an innovative couple built a model of sustainable farming

By Bharat Dogra  In Sema, a remote village in Rajasthan's Rajsamand district, Bhagwati Lal and his wife Rekha share equal credit for creating a remarkable farm that has become an inspiration for villagers and visitors alike. Their achievement demonstrates how even a very small piece of land can provide a strong foundation for sustainable livelihoods while enhancing climate resilience and protecting the environment.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

Gharapuri's discoveries: India finds a maritime past, ASI an app

By Gajanan Khergamker  The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has once again demonstrated an extraordinary talent for mistaking administrative housekeeping for institutional achievement. At the very moment excavations at Gharapuri are yielding evidence that could fundamentally reshape our understanding of India's maritime past, the institution has chosen to celebrate the rollout of QR-enabled audio guides and GPS-supported navigation at its monuments. The contrast could not be starker.