Against the binary of minority-majority as all citizens enjoy equal rights in the country: Arif Mohammed Khan

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Saturday said he is against the binary of minority and majority as all citizens in the country enjoy equal rights under the Constitution and also because Indian civilisation has assimilated people belonging to different faiths.

”…Shall I live as a minority in my country where I was born. What is the meaning of minority? I am less than equal? Does it not keep me shameful? I do not find it insulting to my dignity as a human being?,” he said, addressing a seminar on ‘Cultural & Educational Rights – Article 29 and 30 of Indian Constitution’ organised by ‘Judicial Quest’ magazine.

Minority has been used in view of the inheritance of colonial government, he said, speaking in Urdu.

He cited Article 14 (equality before law) and 15 (prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion and race) of the Constitution.

”Main to buniyadi taur par is aqliyat aur aksariyat ke tasabbur ke khilaf hun. Ham insani biradari hain (I am fundamentally against this idea of minority and majority. We are human fraternity,” he said.

India has given shelter to those belonging to various faiths, including Jews, Parsis, Christians, he said. Khan had voiced the same view in an interaction during a conclave in Delhi on October 9, with a reference to Pakistan.

He said he disapproved of the binary of ‘majority-minority’ when it comes to India as all its citizens have ”equal rights”, unlike in Pakistan, where there is a ”ceiling on those who are not Muslims.” At the event on Saturday, former Chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal L Narasimha Reddy, former BJP MLC N Ramachander Rao and others spoke on the occasion.