Minorities in India safe; fake narratives must be debunked: Rijiju

New Delhi: Minorities in India are safe and fake narratives stating the contrary must be debunked, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said on Tuesday, asserting that minority communities will continue to play a big role in nation building.

Addressing a national conference of State Minority Commissions organised by the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), Rijiju said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a clarion call for making India a Viksit Bharat by 2047.

"In that effort, the contribution of the minority communities must be substantial. The minority communities have had a big contribution in nation building earlier and will continue to do so," the minority affairs minister said.

He said that during his recent visit to Saudi Arabia (for a Haj conference) there were ministers of about 80 countries and an Indonesian minister said his country has the largest Muslim population as of now.

"I said when a census is done then probably the population of Muslims in India may be more than that of Indonesia. But we do not have the exact numbers," Rijiju said, noting that the 2021 census could not be carried out due to the Covid pandemic.

"So we have such a large Muslim population, the largest Sikh population. There are about 52,000 parsis. Christian population is also on the rise, Jains and Budhists are also there. So, the biggest number of minorities in the world lives in India. We must live unitedly and not give any wrong message to the world," he said.

In a number of countries, minorities have faced problems, been massacred and forced to leave their country but it is matter of pride that no one from the minority communities was ever forced to leave India, Rijiju said.

"Everyone is safe and the country is run under the Constitution. Narrative is also run that minorities are not safe. Yes, there may have been incidents, clashes between groups in villages, there have been riots also after Independence, unfortunately.

"We have to ensure that this is not repeated. But at the same time we have to state that there has been any attempt to mitigate the minority communities from the country," he said calling for debunking fake narratives.

Rijiju reaffirmed the government's commitment to the welfare of minority communities, emphasizing the need for cooperation among various faith groups.

He elaborated on the role of the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) in uplifting minority communities, citing Kerala as an example where minority entrepreneurs received funding to establish and expand their ventures.

The minister also underscored the importance of organizing similar conferences across different parts of the nation to exchange best practices and insights.

Furthermore, he said that a meeting with the minority affairs ministers of various states would be convened to prioritize and address key concerns of minority communities across the nation.

He assured that the ministry would examine requests from state governments for gap funding support to strengthen and implement schemes and initiatives aimed at empowering and uplifting minorities, ensuring inclusive development across the country.

He emphasized that minorities in India are safe and have equal opportunities to prosper and succeed in all walks of life.

Minister of State for Minority Affairs George Kurian, in his inaugural address, emphasized the government's commitment to the empowerment of minority communities.

He highlighted that there are numerous schemes dedicated to uplifting minority communities, along with additional initiatives designed for their welfare.

Kurian also emphasized that minorities in India enjoy greater safety and security compared to some neighbouring nations.

NCM Chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura set the stage for discussions with his inaugural address, followed by insightful sessions featuring distinguished panelists, an NCM statement said.

Lalpura elaborated on the contributions of minority communities to nation-building and underscored the role of the commission as a platform for addressing key issues.

He welcomed the voices, opinions, and perspectives of participants and assured that the commission would incorporate best practices from various State Minority Commissions.

The conference featured two key technical sessions on education and minority inclusion and welfare.

In the latter part of the event, an open-house discussion was conducted to address the challenges faced by State Minority Commissions. Participants actively shared their perspectives and recommendations, fostering a collaborative exchange of ideas.

Lalpura said that the NCM remains committed to advancing policies and programs that support the socio-economic and educational upliftment of minority communities across India.