Bengaluru:Representatives of minority and oppressed communities have urged the Karnataka Congress government to fulfil its promises made during the 2023 Assembly elections. Their key demands include repealing the anti-conversion and cattle slaughter laws, restoring four per cent reservation for eligible Muslim communities under Category 2B and taking strict action against hate speech.
The demands were raised at a massive public convention organised by the ‘Voice of Minorities and Oppressed Sections of Karnataka’ at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on November 12. Representatives of Christian and Muslim organisations, farmers’ associations, Dalit groups, human rights organisations and civil society participated in the convention and submitted a memorandum to the state government.
The organisations placed four major demands before the government. These include repealing the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022, commonly known as the anti-conversion law; restoring four per cent Category 2B reservation for eligible Muslim communities; taking effective action against hate speech and communal violence; and repealing the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020.
Archbishop of Bengaluru Christian Mahadharmakshetra, Dr. Peter Machado, inaugurated the convention and criticised the anti-conversion law, stating that it violated the spirit of Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion.He said the law created fear among religious minorities and questioned the need for a separate legislation when existing police laws were sufficient to maintain law and order.
“This is not a political or religious gathering, but a meeting of socially exploited people. We are not demanding more rights than those guaranteed by the Constitution. We are not second-class citizens of this country,” he said.He also highlighted the contributions of minorities through educational institutions, hospitals and charitable services. He urged the Congress government to fulfil its electoral promises, stating that people would trust the government in the next elections only if its commitments were honoured.
Meanwhile, Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad made an important announcement regarding the anti-conversion law. Addressing a press conference, he said the government would repeal the amendment introduced by the previous BJP government during the Belagavi winter session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly next month.
“We will fulfil our promise. The Conversion Act will be implemented in the same way as it was before 2022,” Hariprasad said. He added that the Congress represents all sections of society and does not discriminate on the basis of caste or religion.The organisations also expressed concern over the discontinuation of the earlier Category 2B reservation framework, stating that it had affected educational and employment opportunities for eligible Muslim communities.
They further demanded strict action against communal incitement, attacks on places of worship, threats against minorities and violence in the name of religion. They also alleged that the cattle slaughter law had increased the financial burden on farmers and affected cattle traders, transporters and meat industry workers.Apart from the four major demands, the organisations sought equal access to scholarships, housing, education, employment and welfare schemes for marginalised communities.
With Hariprasad announcing a timeline for repealing the anti-conversion law, attention is now on whether the government will also act on the cattle slaughter law and Category 2B reservation demands during the upcoming Belagavi session.
