Muslims Hope New Panel Will Yield Results

NEW DELHI, 25 March 2005 — Muslims yesterday welcomed the government’s move to set up a panel to study the state of India’s largest minority and hoped the effort would not end up as another instance of tokenism. The comments came a day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set up a high-level committee to prepare a report on the social, economic and educational status of the Muslim community. “It is a very good step, which is in tune with the promises made by this government when it came to power,” said All India Muslim Personal Law Board spokesman S.Q.R. Illyas.