The Commission feels that Godhra aftermath has left 'too deep a wound' and healing it has to be 'visible' in view of the scars left by the communal violence.
NEW DELHI: The Minorities Commission feels that Godhra aftermath has left 'too deep a wound' in Gujarat and healing it has to be 'visible' in view of the scars left by the communal violence.
"It is too deep a wound in Gujarat and will take some more time to heal. Healing the situation has to be visible," the newly-appointed Commission Chairman Mohammed Shafi Qureshi said.
Qureshi, a former Union Minister, said the Commission planned to visit the state, but 'does not want to mix it up with elections'. The process of assembly elections is on in Gujarat where polls are scheduled on December 11 and 16.
Noting that the Commission would talk to the state government to decide suitable dates, he said the modus operandi of the panel has always been to first interact with the affected people and then talk to the administration.
"It does not take a second to destroy the confidence, but building it takes years," said Qureshi, whose refrain is that there is need to change the mindset about the minorities, may it be the issue of Sachar Committee recommendations or other matters concerning them.
Qureshi, a senior leader from Jammu and Kashmir, said a common complaint among minorities is that the progress in implementation of recommendations of the Sachar Committee or report of the Sri Krishna Commission is very slow and it needs to be expedited.
"What the minorities want is equal treatment as any other Indian citizen," he said.
As regards the compensation to those affected in the 1993 Mumbai riots, Qureshi said that the Maharahtra Government has assured the Commission to give it on par with that given to the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Referring to the recent incidents in Hyderabad, the chairman said the complaint of the people of minority community there was of harassment by the police. The Andhra Pradesh Minorities Commission is looking into it and taking it up with the state government.
He said that the Minorities Commission planned to visit the state soon.
He said in a district in Madhya Pradesh, the authorities of a certain police station compel the Muslims, who come up with any complaint, to write their religion after their names.
The Commission has sought an explanation for the 'objectionable' behaviour.
He said that it was very essential that the police should hear complaints from all, including minorities, very sympathetically.
When this does not happen, a feeling generates among the minorities, especially Muslims, that they are not being heard and this leads to a feeling of alienation and loss of confidence in the police.
Making a strong plea for implementing the recommendations of the Sachar Committee which went into the status of Muslims, he suggested that it was hardly happening and cited the issue of jobs in this regard.
He regretted that the percentage of children from minorities in Sainik Schools was as low as 0.5 per cent.
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