Muslims discontended lot in Uttar Pradesh, says NMC

Lucknow, June 12 (UNI) National Minority Commission (NMC) has expressed its concern over the increasing complaints from the Muslim community in Uttar Pradesh over discrimination, police atrocities and biased attitude of the state officials.

''The number of complaints received from UP is the highest in the country with most of them about harassment and discrimination,'' said NMC chairman Mohammad Shafi Qureshi here today. Out of the total complaints across the country, 60 per cent were from UP alone, he pointed out.

Addressing a press conference after winding up his two-day visit to UP, Mr Qureshi, the former UP Goevrnor, said that Muslims felt totally dejected as till now, no government had done anything concrete despite several recommendations in the past.

Referring to some complaints, he said some of them also referred to fake encounter by police of the muslim youths by terming them terrorists. ''We are probing into such cases,'' he added.

However, the NMC chairman said the state government had assured all possible assistance to sort out the grievances of the Muslims and other minority problems in the state.

Renowned journalist and NMC member Dileep Padgaonker clarified that there was no bitterness with the state government over the minority issues but they had been asked to step up their efforts to solve their problems.

''The issue of discrimination and harassment of Muslims in UP should be addressed soon so that they do not find themselves aloof in the society,'' he added.

Mr Padgaonker also stressed the need of more power to the national and state minority commissions so that they could work efficiently.

In UP, the total population of the minorities is over 30 million of which 96 per cent are Muslims.

Meanwhile, the Buddhist member of the NMC Lama Chosphel Zotpa said the people of his community were being denied certificate of buddhist by the state government officials.

''There is very serious problem of non-supportive role by the officials in providing the certificate as they deny the recognisation of the Guru who had certified that they have embraced Buddhism,'' he said adding that at the central level, the Guru's certification was enough for the government certificate.

The Buddhist lama also urged the UP government to promote the Pali language in the state.

The Sikh member Harcharan Singh Josh said that about 50 per cent of the 1984 riot cases were still pending with the government.

UNI MB SB PK BD1827