Our Spl Correspondent
New Delhi: In a candid admission , Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Vincent H Pala on Tuesday said that there has been a general feeling of insecurity among the minorities and this impression has to be removed for peace, justice and harmony to prevail in the society.
“This conference is being organized at a very critical juncture when the country is striving hard to come out of the shadows of terrorism and communal violence,” the Minister said. He was addressing the annual conference of the state minority commissions with focus on role of police.
Pala said that to lessen the feelings of the minorities, the first and foremost step to be taken is that the rights of minorities guaranteed under the Constitution and the laws of the land should be implemented in letter and spirit.
Steps should be taken for protection of life and property of all especially the vulnerable section of the society for peaceful co-existence, he said.
The government is sensitive to the problems of the minorities and is taking various effective steps to find solutions, the Minister said.
The areas to be addressed with a high sense of urgency are involvement of youth in local peace committees and continuous dialogue with people including police and religious heads of minority communities, he added.
“Protection of minorities holds paramount importance, and communal tension not only leaves a negative impact on the peace and tranquility but also affects our goal of attaining economic growth,” he said.
Among others MK Narayanan, Governor of West Bengal and Salman Khursheed, Minister of Minority Affairs attended the two-day conference which began on Tuesday.
