[Addressing the White House summit in Washington DC last week
on Countering Violent Extremism, chief of of India's Joint Intelligence
Committee RN Ravi reeled off facts and figures relating to minority welfare
schemes and measures undertaken by the government, to underline that the
social, educational and economic empowerment of the smaller communities was
taken due care of.]
By Bharti Jain
NEW DELHI: Strongly countering US President Barack Obama's
charge of "religious intolerance" in India, the Modi government has
conveyed to Washington that the usual notion of alienation of minorities is not
valid in the Indian context as the government has ensured their socio-economic
and political integration with the mainstream.
Addressing the White House summit in Washington DC last week on Countering
Violent Extremism, chief of of India's Joint Intelligence Committee RN Ravi
reeled off facts and figures relating to minority welfare schemes and measures
undertaken by the government, to underline that the social, educational and
economic empowerment of the smaller communities was taken due care of.
Drawing attention to the higher population growth of smaller communities in
India over the last six decades, India told the three-day summit - attended by
President Obama, US vice-president Joe Biden and UN secretary-general
Ban-ki-Moon -- that this credibly indicated their "ease and sense of stake
in a happy co-existence with the rest". Pointing to institutions such as a
Union ministry for minority affairs and National Commission for Minorities,
Ravi underlined that these were focused on educational and economic empowerment
of smaller communities, as well as addressing concerns relating to their
rights.
India argued how its being a liberal, plural and secular democracy was its core
strength, and helped to ensure the "socio-economic and political
integration of communities comprising the demographic mosaic, with the
mainstream".
*
EX-PRESIDENT MOHAMED NASHEED IS ARRESTED IN MALDIVES
[Mr. Nasheed resigned as
president in February 2012 after weeks of public protests against his order to
arrest Abdulla Mohamed, chief judge of the Criminal Court. In 2013, Mr. Nasheed
lost the presidential election to the current president, Yameen Abdul Gayoom, a
half brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had ruled the country for 30 years.]
MALÉ,
Maldives — The authorities in the Maldives arrested a former president and
current opposition leader, Mohamed Nasheed, on Sunday, and ordered him to stand
trial on charges related to his 2012 decision to arrest a senior judge.
Mr. Nasheed’s party called for his release and supporters
protested in the capital, Malé, after the arrest, in a sign that the Indian
Ocean archipelago nation could be plunging into political uncertainty.
A document signed by a senior criminal court judge said Mr.
Nasheed was being charged under antiterrorism laws. Television stations in the
country aired scenes of the arrest.
Mr. Nasheed resigned as president in February 2012 after weeks
of public protests against his order to arrest Abdulla Mohamed, chief judge of
the Criminal Court. In 2013, Mr. Nasheed lost the presidential election to the
current president, Yameen Abdul Gayoom, a half brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom,
who had ruled the country for 30 years.
The arrest comes weeks
after a key ally of Yameen Abdul Gayoom defected from the ruling coalition to
align with Mr. Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party to set off a series of
protests to force Mr. Gayoom to resign.
They accuse Mr. Gayoom’s administration of repeatedly violating
the Constitution.
A government minister, Mohamed Shareef, said Mr. Nasheed was
arrested because the court felt he might not honor a summons to stand trial.
Mr. Nasheed is accused of using the military to arrest the
senior judge when it had no authority to do so, Mr. Shareef said. He also is
accused of detaining Mr. Mohamed for weeks without trial or legal counsel and
ignoring a Supreme Court order to release him, he said.
Mr. Mohamed was arrested soon after he released an opposition
politician whom Mr. Nasheed’s government had detained. He was accused of bias
and corruption.
A spokesman for the Maldivian Democratic Party, Hamid Abdul
Gaffoor, said in a statement that “Nasheed had never absconded from court, nor
has taken the opportunity to flee or go into hiding,” and called on the
authorities to release him immediately.
