Statutory status to Minorities Commission soon: Ahmed

Kochi, June 17 (UNI) Union Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahmed today said a bill to amend the Constitution to give constitutional status to the National Commission for Minorities would be introduced in the coming monsoon session of Parliament.

Speaking at the valedictory function of the 'South Indian Muslim Convention for Social Justice' here, Mr Ahmed said the present Minorities Commission was constituted as per the Act of Parliament and did not have any constitutional status.

He said the Cabinet had given approval for giving constitutional status to the commission to protect the rights of minorities, including Muslims in the country.

'' The step was part of the Centre's effort to find new avenues where the rights of the minorities had to be protected,'' he added.

Mr Ahmed said the government had also given approval to constitute an ''Equal Opportunity Commission'' to protect minorities' rights.

The Minister categorically stated that the UPA government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was sincere in its efforts to make sure that the minorities got their rightful needs.

The minister said the Cabinet had decided on May 17 to implement the Sachar Committee Report recommendations 'in toto' and was moving ahead with the plans to achieve the same.

The Sachar Committee was the first in the history of the country to be formed to make an analytical study of the Muslim Community in the nation, he noted.

Mr Ahmed said the Centre had included the economic and social content into the revamped 15-point programme for the minorities.

He also stated that no government should be allowed to dilute the rights of the minorities enshrined in the Constitution of the country.

Reservation should be given to the minorities, for a certain period, to help them to come up in the society, he added.

Kerala Forests Minister Binoy Viswam said the Left parties always championed the cause of the minorities and would continue to do so in the future.

In the two-day convention, a 40-point charter of demands of the Muslim community for affirmative action by the Central and state governments was adopted.

UNI