Mangaluru : Stating that minority communalism will never succeed in annihilating majority communalism, national president of Democratic Youth Federation of India P.A. Mohammed Riyas said here on Sunday that the need of the hour is to strengthen democratic progressive forces.

Speaking after inaugurating a two-day Muslim Youth Conference, he asked Muslim youth not to get misled and join fundamentalist groups.

“Then it will weaken popular democratic movements and will help the Sangh Parivar to accelerate their communal agendas by pointing at minority fundamentalism,” he said.

Mr. Riyas said that Islam preached tolerance and humanity.

“Conducting communal activities in the name of Islam is not only against the interest of our nation but also against the very spirit of Islam itself,” he said.

The DYFI president said that there was worrying trend among youths from minority communities to join fundamental organisations to counter the RSS backed majority communalism.

Promoting minority communalism to suppress majority communalism complemented each other. Groups promoting Islamic state were trying to propagate their ideologies in India also.

It would help to grow “Islamophobia”. “The Muslim fundamentalism is helpful for the Narendra Modi government who is implementing the twin faced policy of neo-liberalism and communalism,” he said. Attacking the RSS, he alleged that it was attempting to convert India into a Hindu rashtra.

The Sangh Parivar and the BJP-led Union government were extremely intolerant towards anyone who raised their voice for the oppressed sections.

He said that Muslims of the country had played a crucial role in the freedom struggle.

Bahadur Shah Safar, Badaruddin Tayabji, Bhikari Sheikh, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, Waris Ali, Moulana Abdul Kalam Azard were proud faces of the freedom struggle, he said. Muneer Katipalla, State president of the DYFI, said that Muslims were facing challenges from within and outside.

The Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee Report had placed Indian Muslims below Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in backwardness. It was in education, employment, health and economic sectors.

The Union and State governments have been reserving meagre funds in their annual budgets for the welfare of Muslims.

The Dakshina Kannada unit of the DYFI has organised the conference.