Online ad for a flat saying ‘minority’ community not allowed, taken off
mumbai — The refusal of housing societies to sell or lease apartments to members of a particular community or those with different eating habits is tantamount to not just violation of human rights, but also of the fundamental rights of a citizen.
Munaf Hakim, chairman, Maharashtra state minorities commission, told Khaleej Times here on Friday that action can be initiated against those who refuse to sell or lease flats to buyers on the basis of religion, caste, or even eating habits, as it violated the constitutional rights of a citizen.
A broker in Mumbai had recently placed an advertisement in <http://99acres. com>99acres.com, a leading real estate por- tal, offering a posh, two bedroom flat in “a cosmopolitan society” in Dadar. However, the ad specifically mentioned that it would not be sold to Muslims.
“We keep getting complaints from minorities in Mumbai, Thane and other parts of Maharashtra, citing such discrimination,” said Hakim. “In this case, a complaint has already been lodged with the National Minorities Commission, which is examining the matter.”
Hakim notes that it is not uncommon to come across housing societies in Mumbai that have a policy of not transferring or allocating flats to Muslims or other minorities, or even non-vegetarians. “In one case, we initiated action against a housing society and complained to the registrar of societies, which then intervened and ensured that the buyer got the flat,” says Hakim.
The chief of the minorities commission blames “fundamentalists” from all communities for encouraging such exclusivist policies, which discourages people from other religions taking up accommodation in their housing societies. This kind of a policy inevitably leads to ghettoisation, where people of a community or caste live together, without interacting with others.
The ad in <http://99acres.com>99acres.com was withdrawn immediately after it was brought to the notice of the National Minorities Commission.
A spokesperson of the portal said the post, containing matter with offensive references to a religious community, was brought to its notice on Monday. “We are deeply embarrassed that our site was misused in this manner,” said the spokesperson. “Our company remains totally against discriminatory practices.”