The topic for next week's forum which is to appear on Saturday is:

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Mir Abdur Rashid Mostafa: Well, yes. They are being victimised in India, in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iraq, the Phillipines, Russia and in every country where there are poor and disenfranchised people. And not just by religious fanatics. Political right-wing groups flourish among the least educated. In the United Kingdom, for all its high living standard, regularly has a small number of deaths from racially motivated attacks. Japan has institutionalised racism that supresses the rights of all minorities. How do Muslims feel living in the USA? The world is riddled with this hideous problem.

Dr Suram Singh Verma: Who are minorities: Sikhs in Punjab, Gujjars in Rajasthan, Kashmiri Pandits in J&K, Biharis/ Bengalis/ Himachalis/ Gharwali in other states like Assam/Punjab, North Indians in South India, Hindus in Indonesia, Tamils in Sri Lanka, Indians abroad? Minority world has a very specific meaning. Any one who is in minority in some place may be a majority at other place. If Christians, Muslims, Sikhs are religious minorities in some parts of India they are definitely majorities in other parts of the country. Same is the case with minorities and majorities on the basis of region and caste. The present ideology of minority & majority is well supported by the political propagandas to catch the vote banks and protected by the government through constitutional law and order policies. No doubt "might is right" has always prevailed in social system but still in India for centuries, all people (irrespective of religion, region and caste) have lived in harmony. With the changing time, people (wherever they have the mass strength) well supported by political leaders are losing patience, tolerance, sensibility and missing no opportunity to dominate the people with any background who are less in number. Need of the hour is that people of all strata should learn to respect & forgive others.

Anushri Verma: When adherents to a religion get involved in a pattern of violently and potentially deadly opposition to anyone they do not agree with, they are sometimes branded as religious fanatics by their detractors. All religions may include fanatic fringes.

Minority communities have generally people belonging from the lower underprivileged classes which have been deprived of even the basic amenities leave anything about education. They are been easily swayed by these fanatics in the name of religion for food.

Religion, if one regards moral values as its core, should not be associated with power. But these days one recalls that the identity of religions is associated more with the clergy and less with the moral values of the religions. Different types of people associated with religion have at times played as handmaiden to the power centers, legitimizing their violence in turn. The triad of religion power and violence gets connected once we see the ambitions of those using religion for their narrow goals. When the people of religion cannot be associated with the plight of poor and oppressed, that marks the crux of its negative role in the society.

It is time that the people associated with religion realize the abuse to which religion has been put. Some streams of religion are for this goal in a blatant fashion. Religion must play a soothing role for the exploited sections of society. This section of religious people, true to the moral values of religions, can live their religion only by associating themselves with the plight of the poor, oppressed and the underdogs.

Sushmita Shrivastava: Yes, it is true that the religious fanatics are targeting the minority communities in India. One should not ignore the grave fact that minorities are slowly becoming pawns for those in power for their narrow political gains. This politicisation of hate for vote started long back and the political leaders have realized that it is a very successful method of polarization of votes. Even the British followed the divide and rule policy and successfully ruled India for two centuries. Now, our politicians are following the same policy, which is highly successful due to deep-rooted hatred between communities. If you incite riots targeting members of minority community, you are sure to grab millions of votes of the majority community. The fanatics recently attacked members of minority community in Orissa and before that in Madhya Pradesh. We have made ourselves a tool in the hands of the power groups.

Syed Zia Ul Hasan Naqvi: If a religious head of minority of any other community is religious in real sense then he is pious and gentleman every inch. The question of victimization of any person by such a man does not arise. Because a true religious man is always very kind and god fearing person such type of persons are strict followers of their religion and they do not budge even an inch from their religion.

On commission of a sin if a religious head orders for the punishment of the sinner as per his religion then he is not victimizing the sinner. He is merely punishing him for his sin.

Advocates of reformative theory often misinterpret the word fanatic. On account of adherence of these righteous persons to their religion they call them fanatics; Though they are not so.

As far as religious fanatic is concerned I object to the use of word religious. Because religious is a sacred word it should not be prefixed with fanatic.

A fanatic is merely a person who is moved by a frenzy of enthusiasm and he has nothing to do with religion. So we should not use word religious with fanatic. A fanatic is a mentally sick person and he should be treated.

RJ Khurana: Here the terms "victim minorities" and "religious fanatics" refer to the "Christians and Muslims" and "Hindus" respectively. In a country of India's religious diversity, it is natural that adherents of one religion should feel insecure vis-à-vis the other particularly the majority and vice versa if the minority is vociferous and aggressive.

It is more so if there has been a bloody history of communal tension. The scenario takes a sinister form if for over 1000 years the minority communities were the rulers and the majority ruled. It is a worse case scenario if the minority community is held responsible for the partition of the country on the basis of religion (as in the case of Muslims of India).

It becomes still worse if a minority community happens to be in majority in one or more states and seen votary of extra-territorial loyalty as in J&K. Distrust and tensions thrive in such a milieu. Under the circumstances, it will be ill conceived to brand the majority as "fanatics" and the minority as "victims".

It is the communal baggage of the past that they carry. To quote the great American novelist, William Faulkner " the past is not even dead, it is not even past." Yet India, a secular democracy has tried its best to diffuse communal tensions and survived many odds including the minority-majority syndrome.

RK Gupta: All citizens of India are equal before the law irrespective of their caste, creed, religious faith and gender. Secularism is one of the most remarkable characteristics of the Indian Constitution.

The word fanatic has been derived from the Latin term `fanaticus' means belonging to a temple. If somebody is religious it is a very good thing. Everybody has full constitutional right to follow the religion of their own choice, nonetheless the religious fanatics have no right to victimise others.

The word majority and minority are equally confusing. The term majority and minority change from place to place. For example- Sikhs are in majority in Punjab, Muslims are in majority in Kashmir and the Buddhists are in majority in Laddakh and minority in other places of India.

Victimization of anybody, on any pretext, either by the majority religious fanatics or the minority religious fanatics, is totally undesirable and unacceptable to the society and the law of the land.

After independence, there have been many shameful incidents in which the minorities were victimised by the religious fanatics of the majority. Unseen forces provoke gullible people to resort to violence. The forces provoke people telling them unimagined injustices are being perpetrated on them.

As people are becoming educated, aware and alert and learning of one other's religious teachings, the number of untoward incidents are becoming less by the day. Virus of fanaticism gets birth in an unhealthy mind and it can be eradicated only by proper education and the economic well-being of people.

SS Chitwadgi: While saying 'yes' to this question, amounting to confession that minorities are being victimized by the religious fanatics in India, several incidents of religious fanatics from amongst minorities come to my mind, but keeping them aside I come up to my above confession.

Victimisation of the minorities arises due to the fact that the few fanatics more often than not being encouraged by enmass religious elements, take law in their hands, instead of following recognized lawful course to mitigate their anger against minorities, on some cause justifying their ill founded actions, leading to cruelty. These then are being punished subsequently. Quoting incidents of this kind may not be necessary but what is needed to avoid such victimization is pertinent.

India has a long history showing extreme religious tolerance but of late things have a different trend. Politics when based on grouping of people of a religion, fanaticism is generated to gain popularity and it then becomes serious amounting to disturbances in civil society. This should be avoided by creating politics based on principles by constituting like-minded grouping to form political parties. Once this is achieved religion fanaticism vanishes and certainly victimization ends. Thus end and means of victimization terminate to the benefit of the country.

Syed Aslam Shahid: Our country commenced its freedom in 1947 and it paid a huuge price for it in the form of nationwide communal violence which cauused a rifft between minority and majority in many parts of India.

Both proceeded further to the way of progress together yet the grudges between them kept on brewing at an alarming rate. Handful of custodian of religion and politics were able to inflict hatred among people who felt that they were ignored and discarded on the ground of their minority status. With the passage of time, this all led to a kind of fear among the minority.

The fear still pervades but the fear is not created by religious fanatics from majority. This in fact is hyped by their own religious messiahs. These are the same religious custodians who have incited bloodbath in Pakistan and many countries. Religious fanatics in such countries commit carnage even in religious places. These kind of incidents have never (rarely) occurred in our country. It shows people in our country still respect each other's religions.

Yes, in some part of our country we had some incidents where minority were targeted but then the rest of nation raised their voice in unison against those barbarian acts. Some countable number of religious fanatics cannot take our nation to hostage. We are secular state because of our people who have received the legacy of universal fraternity from Vivekananda, of ahimsa from the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, and brotherhood from King Akbar. The tradition of love thy neighbour has passed down to us from generation to generation.

The report released by Sachar panel marks it clear that minority are victimised not because of their religion but because of lack of education and weak economic position which leads them to the feeling of inferiority. Religious fanaticism from majority is just an excuse. Aren't people who are weak in economy and education deprived of many facilities that are availed by educated and aware people? Yes, they are. Because they fail to move with rest of the nation.

Satish Kumar Singh: Basically India was country of ethnic group. But by and by people of different castes and communities came in India. In this process, Aryan was first community which came in India from Middle East of Asia. Aryans were followers of Hindu religion. Though religious outline was not so much clear at that time, yet we can say that it was almost similar to Hindu religion. Later on Islam and other religions came in limelight in India and after that clashes among these religions started vigorously.

Divide and rule is very pertinent perception of ruling dynasties or parties in India and due to this in the era of ancient and medieval time too, we can mark out incident of communal fraction in India. In later stage, policy of divide and rule had been adopted by English rulers and this policy become popular. Well this policy is still very effective.

Though India is a democratic country, yet it is not free from religious fanatics. Perhaps on account of policy of divide and rule and desire of getting power along with money, minorities have still been victimized by religious fanatics. Now, this process is endless. Narendra Modi is in power again. But it does not prove minorities are not being victimized in Gujarat. After Godhara incident what happened in Gujarat is absolutely translucent.

Riots of 1984 are also in our mind. Similarly in 1992 too, people had been killed in riots which had erupted after demolition of Babri Mosque.

Bhagalpur, Biharsharif, Bhopal all are known as sensitive cities of India. Vested organizations do not bother about welfare of human beings.

Overall we can say that there is always great possibility of spread hatred among people and surroundings. The invisible satan works his ways among people off guard.

Krishna Chander Mouli: A big yes, the latest example being the Kandhamal district in Orissa. In a secular country like India where all religions and their practitioners are equal in the eyes of the State and are thus guaranteed and protected under the constitution, if the appropriate authority is unable to uphold the spirit of the constitution and fail to prevent well-planned and targetted atrocities on minorities by a miniscule of religious fanatics there is nothing more shameful for the country.

Indians, specially Hindus, claim and boast that they had inherited the sanatan and vedic culture of inviting and absorbing all thoughts and shades of views and opinions in spiritual matters. They also perceive one Almighty, the supreme soul and the only one and the mightiest of all, through various incarnations and their messengers. Yet these days religious fanatics, hindus not an exception, have given a sadistic and cynical twist to the spiritual teachings and preachings in the religious books treating followers of one religious belief as different from the others. The symbols, the rituals, the attires and fanaticism of a particular group have relegated all the other virtues of another group and imposition of fanaticism in the civil society through coercive, unlawful and unsocial means is the hall-mark of the day.

By and large the State has also been failing miserably in preventing and controlling the fanatic elements in the society.

are: First Syed Aslam Shahid , Second Daniel Barretto , Third PS Gaur.