Education holds the key for the development of minorities in India, opinies leading intellectuals at a seminar on ‘Educational Development of Minorities in India: Successful Experiments’ organised by the Islamic Center of Naperville (ICN) in Ogden in the USA.
Addressing the gathering at the seminar, Zafar Javeed, Convener, Central Panel for India, Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah and Secretary, Sultan-ul-uloom Educational Society, Hyderabad said, “Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala have emerged as role models in establishing a network of minority-managed educational institutions and in finding enduring solutions to the educational problems of minorities.”
While appreciating the proactive role of the governments of these states for the help given to minorities, he said, “While southern and western regions of India – account for 35.16 per cent of the Muslim population – have done reasonably well for the educational development of minorities, it is a matter of serious concern that the eastern and northern regions, which account for 34 per cent and 30.84 per cent of the Muslim population respectively, lagged behind and as a result the educational problems of minorities continue to be unattended.
Dr Ausaf Sayeed, Consul General of India in Chicago, who presided over the inaugural session, said that the Union Ministry of HRD and the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs in India have conceptualised and launched several innovative schemes in order to solve the problems of minorities.
He also urged the leaders of minority communities to create wider awareness about these government schemes. Dr Sayeed further added that the social, educational and economic development of minorities can be achieved, in full measure, only when women from minority communities participate in the developmental initiatives in large numbers.
