NDA Govt should get implemented Clause – 7 of UPA-II PM’s New 15 Point Prog for Welfare of Minorities
Daya Sagar
As per press release of Ministry of Minority Affairs ( PIB 23 MAR 2023 ) as could be found from the website of National Commission for Minorities 18 States/UTs have set up statutory State Minority Commissions (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana & West Bengal) and The Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) is implemented through the State Governments/UT administrations where department in the State looking after minority welfare is the nodal department for implementation of PMJVK but schemes implemented by Ministry of Minority Affairs are not promoted by States or State Minority Commissions.
A 15 Point Programme was drawn in 2005 by UPA government seeking to ensure welfare of religious minorities through, increasing educational and employment opportunities, Improving living conditions, preventing and controlling communal riots and rehabilitation of victims of communal riots. The objective being to enhance opportunities for education and ensuring an equitable share for minorities in economic activities & employment through existing and new schemes; enhanced credit support for self-employment & recruitment to State & Central jobs in districts which have substantial population (M).
The term ‘substantial minority population’ in the 15 Point Programme referred to such districts/sub-district units where at least 25% of the total population of that unit belongs to minority communities. The programme covers 121 districts of the country where population of Minority Communities is concentrated. The programme advocated allocating 15% of plan outlays of welfare schemes identified under the 15 Point programme which are related to various ministries.
The Hon’ble President, in his address to the Joint Session of Parliament on February 25, 2005, had announced that the Government would recast the 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities with a view to incorporate programme specific interventions. Prime Minister, in his address on the occasion of Independence Day, 2005, also announced inter-alia that “We will also revise and revamp the 15 Point Programme for Minorities. The new 15 Point Programme will have definite goals which are to be achieved in a specific time frame”. In pursuance of these commitments, the earlier programme was in October 2009 revised as the Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities in 2009 and three more schemes were brought in the scope { National Rural Drinking Water Programme ,2.Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns 3.Urban Infrastructure and Governance (UIG) }.
All is good. But states of Punjab, Meghalaya, Mizoram & Nagaland and UT of Lakshadweep& UT J&K do have one of the notified national level religious minority as a majority community there in on state / UT level.. So, in case any welfare / reforms policy or order of the government in any way appears cultivating some conflicting instincts / impressions/ understandings amongst the people of India the Executive as well as the Legislature must take timely steps for removing the misunderstandings and / or any improper drafting. In the instant case there is need for taking some reformative steps at the level of Union atleast for implementing the para/ clause/point 7 of the PM’s 15 point programme for the welfare of minorities that requires disallowing benefits like National scholarships offered by GOI to six religious minorities notified by GOI to the members of those communities who reside in states that have that community in Majority at state level and distributing that unused share to left over minorities in other states since otherwise it sends wrong signal to the world community about the community that is in majority numbers at the National Level. And ofcourse the condition of having atleast 5 members from notified national level religious minorities for constituting the National Minority Commission too needs a relook for strengthening the bonds between the notified minorities and the ‘majority’ community.
Not only that all States/ UTs too must have Minority Commissions at their local level also for safe guarding the minorities at local levels as well to provide them socio economic support at the state level as otherwise the job to be done by State Level Minority commissions remains incomplete once the principle of National Level minority has been recognised.
(The writer is Sr Journalist and social activist)