Gujarat govt should form a separate minority affairs department and minority commission

Counterview Desk
Text of the representation by the Minority Coordination Committee to Gujarat governor On Prakash Kohli on the development and protection of the minority community:
The population of minorities in Gujarat is 11.5% (as per of Census of India 2011), which includes Muslims 9.7%, Jains 1.0%, Christians 0.5%, Buddhists 0.1%, and others 0.1% . In the state like Gujarat 82.3% Muslim children take admission in the primary schools, but this percentage is found to be decreasing at the matriculation or Standard 10th, when it reaches just 32.5% only. This is a very serious situation.
Gujarat is witness to internal migration for many years, and it's main reasons include riots and establishment of industries on a large scale along the sea coast. About 2 lakh people of the minority communities have migrated and settled down in big cities. They are helpless. They live their lives amidst deficient minimum basic amenities. They live mainly in slum areas. The most affected community is Muslim as per the Sachar committee report.
According to the Sachar Committee report, on an average 21% people are employed in the organized and manufacturing sector, whereas only 13% Muslims are in this sector. Other communities of the country have a higher share. In the field of self-employment, Muslims' share is 54%, which is less than the average of the country, i.e.57%. In the informal occupations, Muslims' share is 23%, whereas the overall share in the country is 17%. It is clear from these figures that Muslims are becoming victims of discrimination.
Recommendations of the Sachar committee led to the formation of the Minority Welfare Ministry by the Government of India in 2006. Its main objective is to bring minorities of the country to the mainstream. This led to launching of special schemes on scholarship, talent development, Wakf development, the Prime Minister's 15 points programme, assistance for the preparation of administrative examinations etc. The implementation of the Prime Minister's 15 points programm zero in Gujarat. In Gujarat, no specific provision for minorities has been made in the budget.
Commissions have been established in India and different states form the preparation of strategies for redressal of grievances and development of deprived classes, and these include Women's Commission, Scheduled Caste Commission, Scheduled Tribes Commission, Commission for Other Backward Classes, Commission for Child Rights, Minorities Commission etc.
In Gujarat, however, we have no separate Ministry for Minority Affairs, no budgetary allocation for the upliftment of minorities, nor is there any implementation of schemes launched by the Government of India. There is no grievances redressal mechanism for minorities in Gujarat in the form of a commission, either.

Considering all this our demands are:

Enact Minorities (Prevention Of Atrocities) Act.
Form portfolio/ministry for the welfare of minorities in the state.
Specific financial provisions should be made in the state budget for the development of minorities.
Open Government Higher Secondary schools where minorities are residing in considerable numbers.
Recognize the Degree of Madarsas equivalent to the Gujarat Board.
Form State Minority Commission. Law should be passed in the State Assembly giving it constitutional standing.
Special financial package should be given for the development of minorities.
Frame a policy for the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons because of natural disasters and communal violence.
Fully implement of the Prime Minister's new 15 point programme.

Comments

mustufa kheduvora said…

The above demands are in the interest of the State.Because when the minority will empower ,that portion of the State will empower. Then it will be in real sense 'सब का साथ, सब का विकास' otherwise it will mere 'जुमला'.

March 27, 2018

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Covishield controversy: How India ignored a warning voice during the pandemic

Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD * It is a matter of pride for us that a person of Indian origin, presently Director of National Institute of Health, USA, is poised to take over one of the most powerful roles in public health. Professor Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian origin physician and a health economist, from Stanford University, USA, will be assuming the appointment of acting head of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. Bhattacharya would be leading two apex institutions in the field of public health which not only shape American health policies but act as bellwether globally.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

Growth without justice: The politics of wealth and the economics of hunger

By Vikas Meshram* In modern history, few periods have displayed such a grotesque and contradictory picture of wealth as the present. On one side, a handful of individuals accumulate in a single year more wealth than the annual income of entire nations. On the other, nearly every fourth person in the world goes to bed hungry or half-fed.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan* The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

'Serious violation of international law': US pressure on Mexico to stop oil shipments to Cuba

By Vijay Prashad In January 2026, US President Donald Trump declared Cuba to be an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US security—a designation that allows the United States government to use sweeping economic restrictions traditionally reserved for national security adversaries. The US blockade against Cuba began in the 1960s, right after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 but has tightened over the years. Without any mandate from the United Nations Security Council—which permits sanctions under strict conditions—the United States has operated an illegal, unilateral blockade that tries to force countries from around the world to stop doing basic commerce with Cuba. The new restrictions focus on oil. The United States government has threatened tariffs and sanctions on any country that sells or transports oil to Cuba.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

Search This Blog