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Christians also need to get OBC reservations, especially
in states, where they are deprived, as per the Mandal
Commission Report.
The Women Reservation Bill scheduled to be passed within
100 days of the new government has raised a number of
issues. The CSF is of the opinion that we should demand
for a minorities quota, within the women's reservation
of 33% for Lok Sabha seats. As it is, this is the lowest
Christian & Muslim presence, which if we don't wake up
to, will surely make us extinct, at least in Parliament
! Fr. Anand Muttungal of the Madhya Pradesh Issai
Mahasangh goes a step further, urging the community to
ask for a seperate minorities quota, like the SC/ST
have. Read on, to what he has to say:India's 20%
population, namely the major minority communities are
not sufficiently represented in the decision-making
elected bodies in the country. The UPA Government found
out through a survey that there are 69 districts, which
are dominated by the minorities. These do not include
the North East and J&K. We must ask for a constitutional
amendment, along with the Women’s Reservation Bill to
include the minority communities, into the r
eservation. It would be nothing new, but a revocation of
the Right, the Minority communities had till the New
Constitution of India was approved by the Independent
Indian Parliament. It is the high time, we ask for our
rights to have sufficient representation in the elected
bodies including the Parliament. The minorities are
represented only from a few pockets in the country. Till
the new constitution withdrew the provisions made in
the1909 and 1919 amendments, in the constitution of the
pre-in dependent India, the Muslims, Sikhs, Indian
Christians, etc. were given almost equal number of
seats. This put them on equal footing with the majority
community. When the new Constitution was drafted, the SC
and ST had a strong united voice under the leadership of
Dr. Ambedkar. They withstood the strong wave of protests
from all corners.
They bargained for it as a price for the humiliation
suffered for many centuries.
In the case of India, citizens are very much divided
over religion and caste. Hence, in many cases, because
of polarisation, a minority candidate, even from a
political party does not get elected. The voting is
polarized along majority-minority lines. Therefore only
if separate seats are reserved for this minority group,
or if special constituencies are drawn for the group,
will we suceed in getting minority representation. In
all, there are 79 parliamentary seats reserved for
scheduled Castes, and 41 seats for Scheduled
Tribes.These reserved constituencies shift from one
election to the next. Thus all such communities, sure to
get elected & are represented. All political parties
need to think on this lines to have an inclusive
decision-making process. They must make constitutional
provisions to include the Minorities, similar to the SC
and ST quota in the Indian Constitution.
The Christians are not geographically concentrated & as
a result, major political parties do not see any vote
bank in them. They are being neglected. The Muslims
being the biggest minority community, are being pampered
by all major political parties. They are given many
welfare schemes, Haj subsidies, aid to Madrasas, etc.
The Babri Masjid demolition and the nationwide communal
riots have united
them. They can therefore influence all major political
parties. India's second biggest minority community -
Christians - is not united in its political agenda.
We have some countries that made such special provisions
to ensure that racial, ethnic, or religious minorities
are represented in the legislature. Examples of these
countries include Croatia, Fiji, India, (SC and ST),
Mauritius, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Palestinian
Territories, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, and the United
States. The constitution guarantees sufficient
representation to SC, ST and now to Women. Ever since
independence all the political parties stand together in
isolating the Minority community from the
decision-making process of democracy. The minority
community must ask for their right to have sufficient
representation. We hope the minority leadership wakes up
to the need of the hour. Only this can put an end to
political isolation and mindless attacks.
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