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Minority Affairs Ministry to set up ‘listening post’

NEW DELHI: The Union Minority Affairs Ministry is planning to set up a round-the-clock “listening post” for minorities to call in moments of distress.

Borrowing a leaf out of Mughal emperor Jahangir’s administration — when the ruler’s attention could be drawn through the sounding of a bell — Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Salman Khursheed has asked his officials to work out the modalities for setting up the listening post.

The idea apparently emerged from preliminary meetings that the Minister had with representatives of the minority communities soon after taking charge.

Officials in the Minority Affairs Ministry said the idea was to have a centralised system for registering all kinds of complaints.

“Now that there is a Minority Affairs Ministry, there is a view that it should play a more pro-active role in addressing the issues of minorities. If we have a nodal point to receive complaints, the Ministry will be in a position to become a trouble-shooter before a complaint festers into a problem. Presently, matters are referred to us by other bodies causing delay and information lag. The listening post will allow us to make quick interventions,” explained an official of the Ministry.

Though the modalities are yet to be worked out, the intent is for the listening post to double up as a helpline service so that complainants can be informed about where to turn to for relief. In a way, it will serve as the eyes and ears of the fledgling Ministry which, according to Mr. Khursheed, is still trying to find its purpose.

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