DHARWAD: V.B. Coutinho, Vice-Chancellor of Gulbarga University, has said the misuse of rights by a few persons from minority groups has resulted in all minorities getting a bad name.

Delivering the Dr. Zakir Hussain Memorial Foundation Lecture on "Minorities' rights in the Indian Constitution" at the Karnatak University here on Saturday, Mr. Coutinho said: "The rights of minorities enshrined in the Constitution are meant to enhance national unity and integrity and not to weaken them. They should not be misused for narrow interest but should be used to further national interests."

Mr. Coutinho said the rights of minorities are clear and the regulations imposed on them by governments reasonable. Minorities need to be educated about their constitutional rights, he added.

History has proved that despite external rule, culture, religion or language cannot be changed easily. All over Europe the rights of the minorities have been accepted, he added.

The rights of minorities are meant to preserve their culture, script and language, but this should be done without harming the national fabric. Mr. Coutinho referred to several judgments of the apex court in this regard.

He said government interference in the running of minority institutions is a reasonable measure in the interest of quality and to prevent misuse of rights.

Mr. Coutinho was critical of the tendency among minority institutions to start only engineering and medical courses and said they should give importance to primary education.

Presiding over the function, M. Khajapeer, Vice-Chancellor of Karnatak University, said minorities should be allowed to enjoy the rights enshrined in the Constitution.

K.R. Aithal, in-charge Registrar, Karnatak University, Dharwad, welcomed the gathering.

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