Kolkata, 18 December 2025 :
In a powerful observance of International Minority Rights Day, the Bengal Minority Forum organised a major discussion meeting on Thursday at the iconic Academy of Fine Arts, bringing minority rights and constitutional safeguards into sharp public focus.
The programme began with a recitation from the Holy Quran by Gari Javed Ali, following which a series of impactful deliberations addressed pressing issues related to minority rights, human rights, social justice, equality, and communal harmony. The event saw the participation of prominent human rights activists, intellectuals, legal experts, social leaders, and senior office bearers of the Forum.
Delivering a key address, Siamat Ali, General Secretary of the Bengal Minority Forum, warned that the constitutional rights of minority communities are facing unprecedented challenges.
“Encroachment, misuse and poor management of Waqf properties have caused serious damage to minority-run educational institutions, religious centres and welfare initiatives. These assets were created for community development, and their protection demands immediate, strict and transparent government action,” he said.
He further underlined that long-pending issues related to OBC status and entitlements continue to impact social and economic progress.
“If the government demonstrates genuine intent, OBC-related problems can be resolved swiftly. Delays only deepen inequality and injustice,” he asserted.
Speakers across the panel stressed that minority rights are inseparable from democratic values and constitutional morality. They cautioned that erosion of these rights threatens social stability and national unity, calling for collective vigilance, legal reform and policy accountability.
The meeting concluded with a strong appeal for sustained dialogue, legal intervention and democratic mobilisation to ensure justice, dignity and equal opportunity for minority communities, reaffirming the Forum’s commitment to safeguarding constitutional rights and social harmony across the state and the country.
