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Minorities Welfare

1. Minorities welfare Ministry was created in Government of India in the year 2006.
2. Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Budhists, Parsis and Jains are considered minorities in India.
3. Jains were declared minority in 2014.
4. Population of Minorities -
   1. Muslims –5,14,998 (2.01%) in Chhattisgarh, 14.2% in India
   2. Christians –4,90,542 (1.92%) in Chhattisgarh, 2.3% in India
   3. Sikh –70036 (0.27%) in Chhattisgarh, 1.7% in India
   4. Budhists –70467 (0.27%) in Chhattisgarh, 0.7% in India
   5. Jain –61510 (0.2%) in Chhattisgarh, 0.24% in India
   6. Highest population of Muslims in Chhattisgarh is in Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg and Surguja and highest population of Christians is in Jashpur.

Constitutional Provisions about Minorities

Minorities have not been defined in the Constitution but this word has been used in many articles of the Constitution –

1. Article 25. Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion – (1) Subject to public order, morality and health and to the other provisions of this Part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion.
   
   (2) Nothing in this article shall affect the operation of any existing law or prevent the State from making any law—
   
   (a) regulating or restricting any economic, financial, political or other secular activity which may be associated with religious practice;
   (b) providing for social welfare and reform or the throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all classes and sections of Hindus.
   
   Explanation I.—The wearing and carrying of kirpans shall be deemed to be included in the profession of the Sikh religion.
   
   Explanation II.—In sub-clause (b) of clause (2), the reference to Hindus shall be construed as including a reference to persons professing the Sikh, Jaina or Buddhist religion, and the reference to Hindu religious institutions shall be construed accordingly
2. Article 26 – Freedom to manage religious affairs – Subject to public order, morality and health, every religious denomination or any section thereof shall have the right—
   
   (a) to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes;
   (b) to manage its own affairs in matters of religion; (c) to own and acquire movable and immovable property; and
   (d) to administer such property in accordance with law.
3. Article 27 – Freedom as to payment of taxes for promotion of any particular religion – No person shall be compelled to pay any taxes, the proceeds of which are specifically appropriated in payment of expenses for the promotion or maintenance of any particular religion or religious denomination
4. Article 28 – Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions – (1) No religious instruction shall be provided in any educational institution wholly maintained out of State funds.
   
   (2) Nothing in clause (1) shall apply to an educational institution which is administered by the State but has been established under any endowment or trust which requires that religious instruction shall be imparted in such institution.
   
   (3) No person attending any educational institution recognised by the State or receiving aid out of State funds shall be required to take part in any religious instruction that may be imparted in such institution or to attend any religious worship that may be conducted in such institution or in any premises attached thereto unless such person or, if such person is a minor, his guardian has given his consent thereto.
5. Article 29 – Protection of interests of minorities – (1) Any section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same.
   
   (2) No citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institution maintained by the State or receiving aid out of State funds on grounds only of religion, race, caste, language or any of them.
6. Article 30 – Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions – (1) All minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.
   
   (1A) In making any law providing for the compulsory acquisition of any property of an educational institution established and administered by a minority referred to in clause (1), the State shall ensure that the amount fixed by or determined under such law for the acquisition of such property is such as would not restrict or abrogate the right guaranteed under that clause.
   
   (2) The State shall not, in granting aid to educational institutions, discriminate against any educational institution on the ground that it is under the management of a minority, whether based on religion or language.
7. Article 350 – Language to be used in representations for redress of grievances – Every person shall be entitled to submit a representation for the redress of any grievance to any officer or authority of the Union or a State in any of the languages used in the Union or in the State, as the case may be.
8. Article 350 A – Facilities for instruction in mother-tongue at primary stage – It shall be the endeavour of every State and of every local authority within the State to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother-tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minority groups; and the President may issue such directions to any State as he considers necessary or proper for securing the provision of such facilities.
9. Article 350 B – Special Officer for linguistic minorities – (1) There shall be a Special Officer for linguistic minorities to be appointed by the President.
   
   (2) It shall be the duty of the Special Officer to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards provided for linguistic minorities under this Constitution and report to the President upon those matters at such intervals as the President may direct, and the President shall cause all such reports to be laid before each House of Parliament, and sent to the Governments of the States concerned.

Minority Institutions in Chhattisgarh

1. State Haj Committee – It makes all arrangements for Haj.
2. State Waqf Board – Its work is the supervision of Mosques, Madarsas, cemeteries, Dargahs etc. Its chairman is Shri Salim Ashrafi. It has been constituted under the Central Wakf Board Act.
3. State Urdu Academy –It was constituted in the year 2003. It is responsible for the encouragement to Urdu language, Urdu learning, and Urdu Literature. Its chairman is Akram Quraishi.
4. Chhattisgarh Madarsa Board – Its objective is management and modernization of education in Madarsas. Its chairman is Mirza Ejaz Beg.
5. Chhattisgarh Minorities Commission – It was constituted by order No/D-1932/2717/????/2001 dated 12-7-2001 of Scheduled Castes, Tribes and Minorities Welfare Department of Government of Chhattisgarh with three members including the chairman. Its chairman is Surendra Singh Kambo and members are Tauqir Raza and Prabodh Minj. The responsibilities of the Commission are –
   1. To evaluate the development of minorities in Chhattisgarh.
   2. To monitor the provisions of protection of minorities in Constitution and other laws.
   3. To make recommendations to the State Government for protection of minorities and effective implementation of protection measures.
   4. To inquire into the complaints of non-implementation of measures for protections of minorities and submit such cases to the State Government and other competent authorities for action.
   5. To get studies conducted on problems arising out of discrimination against minorities and make recommendations for removal of such discrimination.
   6. To get research and studies conducted for social, economic and educational development of Minorities.
   7. To suggest measures to be undertaken by the State Government for development of minorities.
   8. To submit reports to the State Government on challenges and problems faced by minorities and their solutions.
   9. Any other subject which are given to it by the State Government. However if any recommendation of the Chhattisgarh Minorities Commission is against the recommendations of National Minorities Commission, then such a recommendation of the Chhattisgarh Commission shall not be applicable.
6. Chhattisgarh Waqf Tribunal – It has a judge and its function is resolution of disputes relating to waqfs.
7. State Waqf Survey – A surveyor has been appointed for survey of waqfs in the State.

Schemes of Minorities Welfare in Chhattisgarh

1. Multi-sectoral development programme – This scheme has been started for comprehensive development of Minorities in Jashpur district. Under this programme basic services are made available in minorities areas. Its chairman in Saiyad Saifuddin.
2. Scholarship for educational development –Scholarships are given by Government of India Ministry of Minorities welfare. There are pre-matric, post-matric and merit cum means scholarships and also coaching schemes. The state wise number of scholarships is fixed according to the population of minorities and a minimum of 30% girls must be covered. In the State this is administered by the Scheduled Caste, Tribes, OBC and Minorities welfare Department. The scholarship is directly credited into the bank account of the students. The application must include a copy of the passbook, mark-sheet with at least 50% marks in the previous year, notarized declaration of belonging to minority community, annual income declaration, and domicile certificate.
3. Grant-in-aide to minority educational institutions.
4. Nai Udaan – Free coaching to minority students.
5. Nata Savera – Knowledge and skill development in minority children.
6. Padho Pardesh – Free coaching and assistance for study in foreign countries for minority children.
7. Nai Roshni – Development of leadership ability and empowerment of women of minority communities.
8. Control of Communal incidents – “Sahyog Committes” have been established in every district along with the peace committees of police department at police station level. This committee meets every month and includes persons of all communities for controlling communal incidents.

New 15 point Prime Minister’s Programme for Minority Welfare

1. Availability of Integrated Child Development Services.
2. Improving availability of University education.
3. More resources for Urdu education.
4. Madarsa Education Modernization.
5. Scholarship for meritorious students of minority communities.
6. Improving educational infrastructure through Maulana Azad education Institution.
7. Self-employment and labor schemes for poor.
8. Skill development through technical education.
9. Loans for economic activities.
10. Recruitment in State and Central Services.
11. Benefits under National housing scheme.
12. Slum improvement in slums with minority population.
13. Control of communal incidents.
14. Prosecution for communal offences.
15. Rehabilitation of sufferers of communal riots.