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Rs. 7.65 lakh scholarships given to 563 Beary students |
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Mangalore, Dec 24: More than three thousand people from the Beary community congregated here on Sunday for the annual Bearys Cultural Forum Educational Scholarship. As many as 563 students were awarded scholarships worth Rs. 7.65 lakh by the forum.
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The Bearys are a small ethnic sub-group of the Islamic community who have their own distinct cultural practices. The members of the community have carved a niche for themselves as successful entrepreneurs and traders.
"Muslims in the country have been described in many ways. I do not mind any of them. But please do not say that we are not Indians," said Zafarulla Khan, chief adviser of the forum. Mr. Khan implored Bearys as well as members of the larger Islamic community to educate their children and pursue knowledge with zeal.
"We are backward today because of our own follies. The mentality of resisting modernity should change," he said and added that the members of the community should take active part in nation building by joining civil services, the police and other security forces. "There are about 33 crore Muslims in the country. Yet, we barely have an identity because we have not made a conscious effort to educate ourselves and be part of the mainstream," Mr. Khan said.
Stating that their ancestors had chosen to be part of a secular State during partition, he asked the community to honour the conviction of their forefathers and work towards the development of the country.
Former MLA from Brahmavar K. Jayaprakash Hegde said that the Bearys were a most enterprising community in coastal Karnataka and termed them as the pride of the region.
He called upon the members of the community to help less fortunate people within the community and usher in an era of prosperity.
Hindu
