APCR Karnataka Chapter Begins

Bangalore:“A person of faith should be having two ambitions—first is to achieve success in the hereafter and enter into garden of paradise, and the second should be to establish social justice in this world in order to create a happy and prosperous society,” said Dr. Shakeel Ahmed, National Convenor of Association for the Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) in the inaugural programme of APCR’s state office here on October 17. Highlighting the contribution of APCR in protecting civil rights in India, he said that after Gujarat carnage, APCR, in coordination with other human rights organizations had fought for justice and achieved results. When Gujarat Home Minister was behind the bars, the people were asking when would be the turn of Modi. He said “our efforts are for humanity and for persecuted class. Government has passed ‘Right to Education Act.’ We want the ‘Right to Food Act’ to be promulgated at the earliest.”
Mr. Irshad Ahmed Desai, Convenor APCR-Karnataka presenting the report of State Chapter, said “prompt intervention by APCR’s activists averted a communal clash in Chickamagalur where some miscreants had thrown pork inside the Masjid. After the riots on 3rd March in Shimoga and Hassan, police had arrested 121 persons in Shimoga and 54 in Hassan. Out of 121 arrested in Shimoga 37 were non-Muslims. APCR intervened and was instrumental in getting released 100 persons including 17 non-Muslims.” Mr. Irshad also presented the report of different programmes that were held for educating APCR volunteers. The programmes include workshop on RTI by Shaik Shafeeque Ahmed, an RTI activist. A programme was held on the occasion of visit of APCR’s National President Mr. Yusuf Hatim Machala, a veteran lawyer to the city.
Advocate Akmal Rizvi, Secretary, APCR-Karnataka highlighted future plans of the State Chapter. The programmes include release of prisoners, innocent people, and convicts who have completed their term. Many persons were in prison merely because they did not have legal and financial aid. And the other programme is to help correct the public distribution system (PDS). Mr. Akmal said, “On trial basis we will first take-up this project in Koppal and later implement it in entire state. Because this is the system which will give some kind of relief to poor people who are affected by price-rise and market economy.”
Mr. K.M. Ashraf an industrialist from Tumkur in his presidential remarks reminded the Muslims about their prime duty of serving the humanity without discrimination on the basis of cast, colour, and creed. He applauded the efforts of APCR.