NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) received a total of 1,647 complaints in 2016-2017. Law and order issues and complaints from Muslims top the list.The complaints range over a variety of issues, including discrimination in educational institutes to not being allowed to exercise religious rights.
More than 74 per cent of the total number of complaints—1,231—came from Uttar Pradesh, according to NCM’s 2016-2017 annual report that is likely to be placed before Parliament soon.While Muslims and Jains faced the most number of problems in Uttar Pradesh, Christians faced maximum discrimination in Tamil Nadu. The maximum number of complaints from Sikhs and Buddhists were received from Delhi. Three complaints were received from the Parsi community, all from Maharashtra.
The report, a copy of which is with The Sunday Standard, cites some cases of discrimination against minorities that were effectively resolved.For instance, the NCM says it gave relief to a minority institution in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, which had not received a scholarship of over `28 lakh from the state government for academic sessions of 2009-2010 and 2010-2011.
In this case, the NCM—in an order passed on April 11, 2016—directed the state government to disburse the amount to the Translam Group of institutions in three months.The NCM, headed by Syed Ghayorul Hassan Rizvi, also dealt with a harassment complaint filed by one Tajinder Singh, who said he was heckled for being from a minority community by being transferred 17 times in 22 years of service at government banks.
The annual report also states that it has rejected the minority status demand by Vedic Brahmins, Sindhis and Codavas, saying it will lead to “fragmentation” of the Hindu community. The request for minority status was made by the World Brahman Organisation and Purbouttar Bahubhashiya Brahmin Mahasabha.
The report has suggested setting up a “Christian university” on the lines of Banaras Hindu University and Aligarh Muslim University.
MINORITY COMPLAINT COUNT
Total complaints: 1,647
From Muslims: 1,231
From Christians: 102
From Sikhs: 96
From Buddhists: 38
From Jains: 35
From Parsis: 3
Others: 142