Hyderabad: Attempts to degrade other religions or religious practices is a real threat to a democratic country like India. Contributions made by Indian Muslims in various fields is very significant but unfortunately it is not highlighted.
Eminent historian, Prof. Rizwan Qaiser, Dept. of History, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi expressed these views at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), Hyderabad while delivering a lecture “Mainstreaming the Minorities in Historical and Contemporary Times” yesterday.
Tracing the History of advent of Islam and arrival of Muslims in India, he said that majority of Indian Muslims are
natives, however since their forefather had embraced Islam as religion they are treated as “Outsiders”. Christianity is
also a foreign religion for India but Indian Christians would not face this problem, he remarked.
The lecture was organized by Al Beruni Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion & Inclusive Policy (ACSSEIP) and Department of Political Science of Maulana Azad National Urdu University in association with Department of
History (MANUU) & Research Committee on Minority Studies, Indian Sociological Society, New Delhi.
The Lecture was chaired by Dr. Afroz Alam, Director I/c, ACSSEIP. Prof. Qaiser explained the definition of minorities in both historical and contemporary perspectives. Communities are considered as minorities based on their power in socio-economic and political areas.
If a community has lower population percentage but holds all powerful positions then it cannot be termed as minorities, he said. He highlighted how Muslims are being discriminated since 1857 and how this discrimination or exclusion was started in British Colonial era in a planned way and later after Independence it continued in a different form with certain political patronage.
He favoured pluralistic culture against mono culturalism as this will be beneficial for the growth and development of the country. He also spoke about Indian multi culturalism and the impact of one culture on another, creating more social harmony.
Dr. Danish Moin, Head, Dept. of History was also present and Dr. K. M. Ziyauddin, Assistant Professor, Centre
coordinated in organizing the lecture. Large number of students, research scholars and faculty members attended.