Minority rights activist returns award over ‘raising cases of violence against minority community’

In a way of protest against the ‘raising cases of violence against the minority community’, the renowned minority rights activist, Shabnam Hashmi, has returned her ‘National Ministry Rights’ award to the National Commission for Minorities, which had presented this award to her in 2008 recognising her contributions for the betterment of the minority communities living in Gujrat and Kashmir.  In the letter submitted to the authorities while returning the award, the rights activists allege that the National Commission for Minorities has failed to perform the purpose for which it was constituted. The activist strongly denounces the statement made by the NCM chairperson, Gayorul Hasan Rizvi, over the Champions Trophy row. Recently, as per the report published in the leading national daily, Mr Rizvi said that those people who celebrated the Pakistan’s victory in the Champions Trophy final should be deported to Islamabad. It is not the first time a renowned social figure is returning the award bestowed by the government agency. Earlier, around a couple of years before, immediately after the Dadri lynching row, several activists returned awards and honours gifted by the government agencies. Observers claim that the government should consider the allegations raised by the activists and social figures as a serious matter and take concrete steps to make sure that such allegations will not surface in the future. To do so, the authorities should cultivate a friendly approach, they add.

Vignesh

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