Vikram Singh of the ICES in his speech on current conceptual trends in minority issues made the thought-provoking point that identity may not be imposed on one now. South Asia, he said, has been left behind by Europe's advances in minority rights protection. Standards on these issues are being developed in Europe but they are not relevant to South Asia. Setting out of guidelines on protecting these rights and their implementation is important. Minority rights and human rights could be seen to co-exist, Kumaraswamy explained in her address.
Regional minorities exist in South Asia.
These questions raise important philosophical and practical issues, Kumaraswamy said. Diversity is the biggest challenge to human rights, she pointed out. The ICES Director made the point that while political recognition of minorities is important, through, for instance, the granting of devolution, human rights should be realised within these groups. The challenge is to ensure human rights within minority groups while granting them their rights. Thus a number of vital issues relating intimately to ethnic peace in South Asia was raised at the inauguration of this path-breaking conference on diversity.