NEW DELHI: New Delhi-based the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) has said that India is witnessing severe rights abuses against minorities induced by systematic hatred in the country.
The APCR said this during a press conference, which was attended by religious leaders from Muslim, Christian and Buddhist communities and other social activists at Pink City School of Jaipur city in Indian state Rajasthan.
The APCR representatives during the press conference said, religious and other minority groups are suffering persecution, discrimination and systematic marginalisation in India.
The press conference was an attempt to bring into limelight the deplorable state of minorities in India.
Advocate Syed Saadat Ali, who is the president of Rajasthan chapter of the Association urged justice loving citizenry of the country to come forward in support of the victims of violence in word and spirit.
He further said, “We are a secular nation and every citizen has the right to profess, practice and propagate the faith or belief of his choice but some people want to rip off these rights to serve their self-interests,”
Bishop Oswald Lewis, president of the Jaipur Christian Diocese, said. “The pinnacle of an atmosphere of hatred and divisiveness between communities is worrisome.”
State president of Jamaat-e-Islami India Muhammad Nazimuddin stressed that since the Independence, a group has been angry from the framers of constitution, including Mahatma Gandhi, who preferred India to be a secular nation and guaranteed equal rights to all its citizens.
“Though India has been facing the brunt of thousands of communal riots for decades losing precious human lives and destruction of public and private property, but recent surge in the attacks against Christians and Muslims across the country is alarming. These incidents are the by-products of the constant efforts of certain groups, enjoying the state impunity, to
marginalize minorities through their systematic hate and vilification campaigns.” he said (With input from INP)
