India's Legal System Actively Safeguards Minority Rights: Khalid Naveed Calls for Balanced Narrative

Hans India

03-06-2025

Mahbubnagar: Highlighting that India's legal system is actively safeguarding the rights of minorities, social activist, Khalid Naveed, who is also President of Youth Welfare organisation, in Mahbubnagar, has called for a more accurate and balanced portrayal of the condition of Indian Muslims, urging both domestic and international observers to move beyond alarmist narratives.
In a press statement on Tuesday, Khalid expressed concern over misleading information flooding the international media and emphasized the need to counter misleading portrayals by certain international media outlets and human rights organizations, which he said paint an exaggeratedly grim picture of Muslim safety in India.
"Is it really that bad?" Naveed asked, pointing to a host of legal, governmental, and civil mechanisms that actively protect minority rights in India. He cited high-profile legal actions against hate speech as strong evidence of India's commitment to rule of law and secular values.
He highlighted the cases of Yati Narsinghanand and Maharashtra MLA Nitesh Rane, where law enforcement agencies acted swiftly against communal incitement. Multiple FIRs were filed in Ghaziabad against Narsinghanand for derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad, while Rane was booked for inflammatory speeches on so-called 'love jihad' and 'land jihad.' 'These cases demonstrate that even political figures are not immune from legal accountability when communal boundaries are breached,' he noted.
Naveed further underlined the robust legal framework that underpins minority protections in India. He pointed out that the Supreme Court has repeatedly reaffirmed secularism as a constitutional cornerstone—most notably in its interpretation of the Citizenship Amendment Act, where it asserted that citizenship cannot be decided solely on religious grounds. State High Courts in Punjab and Kerala, he said, have also stepped in to protect Muslim land rights and religious properties from encroachment, showcasing the judiciary's vigilance at multiple levels.
The National Commission for Minorities (NCM), a statutory body, plays a key role in monitoring safeguards and addressing grievances of minority communities, including Muslims, he added.
Alongside legal protections, Naveed stressed that India has significantly expanded its welfare infrastructure for minorities in recent years. Building on the 2006 Sachar Committee report that exposed deep socio-economic gaps, the Ministry of Minority Affairs now runs more than 50 schemes aimed at educational support, skill development, and financial inclusion. In 2022–23 alone, thousands of scholarships were awarded to Muslim students under pre-matric, post-matric, and merit-based programs. Initiatives such as Nai Manzil provide vocational training for school dropouts, while the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana has widened banking access in Muslim-majority districts.
He also cited the 2021 Pew Research Center survey, which revealed that 95% of Indian Muslims expressed pride in their Indian identity, and 85% believed Indian culture was superior in some ways—a powerful indication of inclusion and belonging rather than alienation.
Naveed praised the role of civil society and grassroots organizations in maintaining communal harmony. He pointed to the NCM's 2023 initiative that formed rapid response teams—comprising Muslim leaders, police, and human rights advocates—to respond swiftly and fairly to communal incidents.
"India's pluralistic ethos stands strong even under scrutiny," Naveed said, drawing comparisons with Western democracies where Muslim minorities often face deeper marginalization and political underrepresentation. He urged observers to distinguish between isolated incidents and the broader institutional mechanisms that protect minority rights.
"In spite of challenges, India remains a safe and inclusive country for minorities, especially Muslims. The legal, social, and governmental structures in place speak for themselves,' he observed.