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ALIGARH, December 18: The Department of Political Science, Aligarh Muslim University, organised a one-day symposium to mark International Minority Rights Day, focusing on constitutional safeguards, global practices and contemporary challenges related to minority rights.
Welcoming the speakers and participants, the Chairperson of the Department, Prof. Md. Nafees Ahmad Ansari, underlined the significance of Minority Rights Day and its role in guiding governments in framing and implementing effective welfare policies for minorities.
Prof. Arshi Khan observed that the treatment of minorities serves as a litmus test for any state and referred to five-point reforms adopted in Australia for minority protection, suggesting their relevance for other countries. Prof. Md. Aftab Alam highlighted the importance of both individual and group rights, describing Article 30 of the Indian Constitution as the cornerstone of minority rights in India.
Prof. Mohammad Mohibul Haque elaborated on the concept and categories of minorities in the Indian context, emphasising the state’s responsibility to safeguard minority identity and rights while resisting forced assimilation and hate-driven narratives. Mr. Parvez Alam, speaking on minorities and populism, analysed how minorities become central to majoritarian political discourse.
Presiding over the symposium, Prof. Mirza Asmer Beg remarked that India has one of the strongest constitutional frameworks for minority protection and credited the framers of the Constitution for their foresight in placing minority rights within the chapter on Fundamental Rights.
Source: Aligarh Muslim University News