Call for probe into blocked membership; INDIAN CENTRE: City council urged to step in.Byline: By Helen Thomas A PETITION signed by more than 600 people has been handed to the council over concerns a Coventry Coventry, city, England Coventry (kŏv`əntrē, kŭv`–), city (1991 pop. 318,718) and metropolitan district, central England. Coventry is an industrial center noted for its automobile production. community centre is excluding potential members. On Saturday a protest was held outside the Indian Community Centre, in Cross Road, Foleshill. The group of protesters say people have been refused membership because they are not of Indian origin, are of a different religion, or are considered a different caste caste [Port., casta=basket], ranked groups based on heredity within rigid systems of social stratification, especially those that constitute Hindu India. Some scholars, in fact, deny that true caste systems are found outside India. to those in charge. The centre is an independent organisation managed by a board of trustees but is funded by the council. The protesters are calling on the council to investigate why people have been refused membership when they say there is nothing in the constitution stating members must be Indian. Harsimran Singh, a spokesman for the group, said: "This has been organised by the community at large. We are saying this organisation discriminates against people wishing to become members. "It is creating such a lot of concern in the community that we got together and within days about 600 families in Coventry formed a petition. "The city council funds this organisation so we believe there should be inquiries made by the council. We want everyone to be given the chance to participate in the organisation. "People feel very strongly about this." On Saturday the group handed over their petition to Councillor Altaf Adalat Ad·a·lat A trademark for the drug nifedipine. for him to forward it on to council leader Ken Taylor. Coun Adalat said: "As the ward councillor I was approached by members of the Indian community in Foleshill to receive and forward the petition to the city council. "The petition makes a complaint that they have not been allowed to become members of the Indian Community Centre in Foleshill and that they would like the city council to investigate this matter. No one was available from the community centre board to speak to the Telegraph telegraph, term originally applied to any device or system for distant communication by means of visible or audible signals, now commonly restricted to electrically operated devices. Attempts at long-distance communication date back thousands of years (see signaling). this weekend but earlier this month Tarsem Singh Shoker, centre general secretary, admitted he only accepts members if they are of Indian origin. CAPTION(S): CONCERNS... Protestors, from left, Dial Masih, Harsimran Singh and Coun Altaf Adalat with the petition. Picture: James Balfour James Balfour may refer to:
|
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion