New Delhi (Pervez Bari): An NGO (non-Government Organisation) christened as Empower India Foundation is holding a National Conclave to discuss a long term plan, with a comprehensive action agenda, for total empowerment of the marginalized Muslim community at India Habitat Centre here in New Delhi on August 15 this year. On this occasion the Basic Document on empowerment projectwill also be released.
According to Empower India Foundation chairman E. M. Abdul Rahiman Muslims continued to be more backward than many other socio-religious communities in the country. He said: “At this point of time, when India has passed more than two third of its first century of independence, Indian Muslims continue to be more backward than many other socio-religious communities in the country. Instead of lamenting the past, the situation speaks about planning for future so that the coming generation of India may enjoy a bright future. Better late than never, the Muslim community has to set a vision and mission, and execute a long term plan, with a comprehensive action agenda for total empowerment”.
Abdul Rahiman said that Empower India Foundation is a platform which is being pioneered by a group of social activists committed to the cause of empowering the backward and marginalized communities across the nation. Its focus is in providing conceptual, intellectual and motivational support to communities to play a pro-active role in getting empowered by their own efforts.
As an initiative towards empowering the marginalized Muslim community, Empower India Foundation has designed a Community Empowerment Project after a series of seminars, dialogue sessions, get-togethers, and personal discussions with scholars, subject experts and leading activists. Six academic seminars were held in 2014 in New Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Calicut and Chennai on different aspects of the theme “India 100 Years: Roadmap 2047”. In the following year, Get-together programmes were held in 82 cities of 15 states in which around 2000 concerned citizens came forward to involve in the project.
Meanwhile, the Project Management Office has been simultaneously engaged in fine tuning the Basic Document of the project INDIA 2047 and in developing Basic Systems for project execution at grass roots.
Abdul Rahiman said: “Now, we are happy to inform you that, the Basic Document is ready for release. Also it is encouraging that, a few agencies have started partnering with us by undertaking a handful of pilot projects in different states”.
The main programme of the event is the release of the Basic Document of the Project followed by a seminar session on the topic Opportunities & Challenges in Community Empowerment. Those who are expected to address various sessions of the full day event will include noted academicians, subject experts, social activists and community leaders. The programme is meant for invited participants who have shown active interest in the project in different parts of the country. (pervezbari@yahoo.co.in)