World Minorities Day is being observed today with the aim to highlight their religious and socio-economic rights.  

Pakistan being the Islamic state and its constitution guarantees the rights of minorities. White color in our flag also represents the minorities. 

Present government has taken many initiatives to protect the rights of minorities and the foremost amongst them is the opening of Kartarpur corridor which has been hailed worldwide. 

On the other hand, the minorities especially Muslims are being marginalized in neighboring India. Babri Mosque's judgment and the passage of discriminatory citizenship act have proved that India is only for Hindus and there is no place for minorities. 

Muslim population in Occupied Kashmir is brutally treated by Indian security forces. Over one hundred thousand Kashmiris have been martyred so far.

Over 200 million Muslims are living in fear and scared in view of enhanced audacity of Hindu youth affiliated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Similarly, every Sikh, particularly, those living in East Punjab are suspected being anti-India. They are being persecuted on the same pattern as other minority population. Sikhs were mowed down in Operation Blue Star in 1984 and later after Indira Gandhi was assassinated and over 1700 Sikh people were killed in about 40 districts across India.

There have been incidents of "nun rape" in India. Churches defiled and Christ's Crucifixion symbols are desecrated. To add insult to injury Vice President All India Hindu Mahasaba Sadhi Deva Thakur suggested that Hindu gods and goddesses should be placed in Churches and Mosques.

Dalits, the untouchables, have their own ordeal to tell. Frequency against Dalits shows poor state of affairs of the community. A crime against Dalits happens every 18 minutes, three women raped and 27 atrocities daily, while 13 murdered and six kidnapped every week. 

Zahid/Akram/Zunera