By TCN Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: “The constitution of India prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion but unfortunately, there have been enough disturbing patterns of official behavior because of which I have to say, that institutionalized discrimination against Muslims has become entrenched in India today,” said Dr. Manzoor Alam, general secretary of All India Milli Council at Press Club of India, on August 11, 2010.
Addressing media persons, Mr. Alam further said that there is sufficient evidence to prove these disturbing patterns of official discrimination against Muslims.
Dr. Manzoor Alam
Opening an account in a nationalized bank is mandatory for the Muslim students in order to avail the scholarship, sponsored by the central government. But in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and in different other parts of the country, on the name of opening an account, thousands of cases of harassment of Muslim students by nationalized banks have surfaced, he added.
In some cases, banks didn’t allow thousands of Muslim students to open an account. This has happened in spite of the RBI circular and the directives from the ministry of finance, to allow accounts with zero balance, in order to encourage “inclusive banking,” he further said.
He argued that trends like these are not healthy sign for the “inclusive growth” of the country, and will only add to the fear psychosis from which has already affected the community.
Demanding stern action against the responsible officials in the banks where these cases have emerged, Mr. Alam also asked the government to facilitate the opening of accounts for these students and to compensate them for the harassment which they have been made to go through.
Expressing his shock at VS Achuthanandan’s comparision of Darul Qaza to Taliban courts, Mr. Alam said that how can Mr. Achuthanandan comment on some thing, he doesn’t know. He demanded immediate apology and withdrawal of the statement from the chief minister of Kerala.
Darul Qaza is an arbitration center where family and property related disputes of Muslims get solved in an easy way.