A two-day State-level workshop on minority rights, held by the Odisha Regional Organisation for Social Action (OROSA) at the Adhikar office here, concluded on Sunday. Delegations of the minority communities from different parts of the State took part in the workshop and discussed various rights and issues of the minority communities in the State.
CSFHR director Dhirendra Panda, OROSA director Fr Ajay Kumar Singh and Jugal Kishor Ranjit from NCDHR spoke on the occasion. While Panda explained about three pillars of the minority rights, nondiscrimination, protection of identity and effective participation, Fr Singh spoke about the “hate campaign” carried out since 1930.
Ranjit called upon the participants to identify the issues relating to discrimination, loss of identity and nonparticipation in decision-making. He also appraised about various rights provided under the international human rights mechanism and the Constitution of India. The minority communities have to come forward to make the Government accountable to protect them, said Ranjit.
The speakers lamented that the Constitutional guarantee for the minority community to establish and maintain their own educational institution is completely violated in Sundargarh district.The workshop also outlined various solutions to these problems followed with an effective action plan.