JEDDAH — “Many programs and schemes are being executed for minorities and the government is focusing upon educational development of the Muslim community,” said India's Minister for Minority Affairs K. Rahman Khan at a press conference in Jeddah on Tuesday. Khan, who is on a visit to Kingdom, briefly described programs relating to minorities and the development programs for their benefit. Speaking at the Indian Consulate General, the minister said the Congress-led government is taking all measures to implement Justice Sachar Commission's recommendations to boost the Muslim community giving female education a priority. The government is also rendering financial assistance to minority educational institutions through Moulana Azad Education Foundation for the development of educational standard of minorities in India. Rahman Khan said the prime minister's 15-point program for empowering minorities in India is yielding positive results. According to the minister, Muslims constitute the biggest minority community in the country. In reply to a question about illegal detention of Muslim youths, he said his ministry is working closely with the Home Ministry to allay fears of community in this regard and has offered proposals for a speedy trial of those already detained. The minister added that the government is determined to protect Waqf properties in the country through empowering laws to deal effectively with land encroachment. The Central Waqf Council has been established to issue directives to states in dealing with Waqf matters. He said that computerization of the records of the individual states' Waqf Board scheme is for more efficient record keeping, transparency and to computerize the various functions of the Waqf boards and develop a centralized Web-based databank. He emphasized that the government is focusing on minority development. “The Indian government is focusing upon educational development of Muslim community in general and Muslim women in the country in particular,” he concluded.
