| Minorities Council
Appeal To Observe 10th December As Anti – Discrimination Day
New Delhi, 3 December, 2001: We appeal to all civil society organisations to focus attention on the issue of discrimination and intolerance on the Human Rights Day on 10th December 2001 as required by the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. The High Commissioner For Human Rights has fixed the date as the first Stock-Taking in terms of progress in implementing measures required to end discrimination and intolerance not only on the basis of ‘race’ or caste but also on the basis of religious belief and ethnic origin. The first step in this direction will be official publication of community-wise socio-economic and educational data collected by the Census Commissioner, and statistical disaggregated data on representation of minorities in all sectors of national life, including the armed forces, the police & paramilitary forces, the judiciary and the political system. The NGOs, the academic institutions and the official agencies need to undertake study and research on the issue of discrimination, which has been totally neglected in the country, and suggest measures to end discriminatory/exclusionary practices so pervasive in the country.
This Stock-Taking should include how equal access to justice is not available to the poor and deprived sections and minorities as exemplified by large number of riot related cases including the demolition of Babri
Masjid.
Iqbal A. Ansari
Minorities Council
20, Jaswant Apartments, Okhla, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi-110025
Tel.: 6324452, Email: iqbalansari2001@hotmail.com
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