Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh has witnessed heavy clashes since May 5.
The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) will visit Saharanpur next week to gather first-hand information on the repeated instances of caste clashes in the area. NCM member Sulekha Kumbhare, who took her place in the panel yesterday, today said members would tour the Uttar Pradesh town after their first meeting and assess whether injustice was meted out to any community.
"All the team members will visit Saharanpur next week to assess ground realities. Justice should be ensured... But we need to check the factual position first," the former Maharashtra minister said.
The cycle of violence in Saharanpur began on May 5 when a man was killed, several injured and around 25 homes set ablaze in Shabbirpur village.
According to Ms Kumbhare, the NCM will work like a bridge between the Centre and communities. She also pitched for educational as well as financial empowerment of minorities in a bid to bring them into the mainstream and boost their confidence.
"To be able to do that, you will need to empower them educationally," she added.
Ms Kumbhare also favoured giving more teeth to the panel, which is entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding interests of minorities, by offering it constitutional status. The NCM is at present a statutory body.
Former national secretary of BJP's minority morcha Gairul Hasan Rizvi is chairman of the panel. George Kurian, the BJP leader from Kerala, is his deputy.