Maulana Azad Foundation’s Closure and several other measures of the Centre against minorities come in for severe criticism
Mohammad Alamullah / Clarion India
NEW DELHI – The recent shutting down of the Maulana Azad Foundation by the Centre has ignited a firestorm of criticism from various quarters concerned with minority affairs.
Renowned intellectual, social worker, author, and champion of the rights of the Christian community, John Dayal, expressed grave concerns over what he perceives as a deliberate attempt by the government to target minority communities.
Talking exclusively to Clarion India, Dayal said the closure of the fund and several other decisions are part of a disturbing trend. He sees these decisions as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agenda to dismantle established frameworks safeguarding minority rights.
He emphasised that measures initiated by Jawaharlal Nehru and continued by Indira Gandhi and other leaders including the 15-Point Programme and the Sachar Commission were crucial for supporting minority education. These efforts aimed at providing opportunities to minority students from basic schooling to advanced studies and even studies abroad formed a comprehensive support system with the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) at its core, he said.
However, Dayal lamented that the Modi administration has systematically dismantled these support structures, beginning with attacks on the Ministry for Minority Affairs. He pointed out that voices within the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have questioned the necessity of such ministries, suggesting a denial of minority existence in India.
The discriminatory treatment of minority communities, Dayal stressed, is evident in the erosion of their rights and support systems. He said during Modi’s tenure as chief minister of Gujarat, the state government’s contributions to minority scholarships were withheld despite the central government’s release of funds. As Prime Minister, Dayal noted, Modi has intensified these efforts, leaving once-robust institutions like the Ministry for Minority Affairs in a state of paralysis. Furthermore, key positions in organisations like the National Commission for Human Rights have been filled with individuals aligned with Modi’s agenda, leaving minority communities, particularly Christians, vulnerable and without adequate representation.
Dayal underscored that Modi’s administration perceives any association with Muslim freedom fighters as a threat to their ideology. Consequently, schemes, scholarships, and institutions linked to statesmen like Maulana Azad are particularly at risk.
Dayal’s extensive experience as a former member of the National Integration Council and former national president of the All India Catholic Union adds weight to his concerns over the government’s alleged targeting of minority rights.
Dayal emphasised an urgent need for attention and action to address the assault on minority rights in the country.