National Commission for Minorities

Why is in news? NCM held meeting with Sikh Intelligentsia for inviting suggestions to make commemoration of Veer Bal Diwas

In the meeting, Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities Iqbal Singh Lalpura hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to mark the 26th of December as Veer Bal Diwas.

The Prime Minister had announced the 26th of December to be observed as Veer Bal Diwas to mark the martyrdom of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh.

They were martyred in Sarhand after being sealed alive in a wall on the 26th of December, 1704.

Thereafter, the Central Government decided to commemorate the day as Veer Bal Diwas.

National Commission for Minorities:

The Union Government set up the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.

Initially five religious communities, viz., Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Zoroastrians (Parsis) were notified as minority communities by the Union Government.

Further vide notification dated 27th January 2014, Jains were also notified as another minority community.

Union Government constituted National Commission for Minorities, New Delhi and State Government constituted State Minorities Commissions in their respective State Capitals.

These organisations are set-up to safeguard and protect the interests of minorities as provided in the Constitution of India and laws enacted by the Parliament and the State Legislatures.

Aggrieved persons belonging to the minority communities may approach the concerned State Minorities Commissions for redressal of their grievances.

Moreover, they may also send their representations to the National Commission for Minorities, after exhausting all other official mechanism of remedies available to them.

As per the Census 2011, the percentage of minorities in the country is about 19.3% of the total population of the country. The population of Muslims are 14.2%; Christians 2.3%; Sikhs 1.7%, Buddhists 0.7%, Jain 0.4% and Parsis 0.006%.

The Minorities Rights Day every year on 18th December which marks the adoption of the “Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities” by the United Nations in 1992.

Composition of Commission:

The act states that the Commission shall consist of:

a Chairperson,

a Vice Chairperson and

Five Members to be nominated by the Central Government from amongst persons of eminence, ability and integrity; provided that five members including the Chairperson shall be from amongst the minority communities.

Each Member holds office for a period of three years from the date of assumption of office.

Functions:

Evaluation of the progress of the development of minorities under the Union and States.

Monitoring of the working of the safeguards for minorities provided in the Constitution and in laws enacted by Parliament and the state legislatures.

Ensures that the Prime Minister’s 15-Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities is implemented and the programmes for minority communities are actually functioning.

Making recommendations for the effective implementation of safeguards for the protection of the interests of minorities by the central or state governments.

Looking into specific complaints regarding deprivation of rights and safeguards of minorities and taking up such matters with the appropriate authorities.

Investigates matters of communal conflict and riots.