(SAKA) National Commission for Minorities Bin a Scheme Chalked
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89 Matters under Rule 377 VAISAKHA 21, 1914 (SAKA) National Commission 90 for Minorities BiN Rajdhani Express between Delhl-Trivandrum a scheme chalked out for the purpose. and Mangalore which will help a part of Kamataka also. MR. SPEAKER: The House now stands adjourned to meet again at 3.00 p.m. I urge upon t,tle Central Govemment to introduce Rajdhani Express between Delhi, 14.01 hrs Trivandrum and Mangalore to help the people of South particularly the people of Kerala. The Lok Sabha then adjourned for Lunch (Ix) Need to provide radial to the till Fifteen of the Clock people affected by earthquake In Tehrl Garhwal, U.P. [English] SHRI SAIFUDDIN CHOUDHURY The Lok Sabha re-assembled after Lunch (Katwa): Sir, I would like to raise the problems at (our minutes past Fifteen of the Clock faced by the victims of seven earthquake in TehriGarhwal, especially of BhilanganaGhati [MR. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chaiij and 60 villages around it. (English) People who became victims of this earthquake could not be traced for weeks MR. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The House together. Many of the injured could not get . shall now take up item no. 8 on the Agenda even first-aid. As a consequence of p3per. Shri Sitaram Kesri. earthquake, people of the areas are facing acute shortage of drinking-water not to speak NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR about the crops which have heavily suffered MINORITIES BILL because of no watering system. ( Translarion) A motorable road between Bhatwadi Bhilangana (Tehri) and Chameli inaugurated THE MINISTER OF WELFARE (SHRI in 1952 was totally destroyed. It should be SITARAM KESRI): I beg to move: repaired and arrangements for drinking - water made immediately. All such areas be "That the Bill to const~ute a National connected with communication facil~ies. Commission for Minorities and to provide for matters connected The affected horses required immediate therew~h or incidental thereto, repairs. It is alleged that assistance given to be the earthquake victims is not adequate. I taken into consideration-. request that a list of affected victims should be prepared and published. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, Congress party had rna Ie an i"1>ortant commitment in its One family should be taken as a unit for election manifesto of 1991 General Eledions the purpose of assistance while rehabil~ating to provide constitutional status to Minorities them. It is also imperative that mobile Commission to make it more effective. dispensaries are provided in those areas enabling the victims to get mediCines. Hon. President had also reiterated it in 14.00 hrs his Presidential Address delivered in the Parliament in July 1991. Prime Minister had There are big cracks in the hill-rocks. It also assured the House about the introduction Is feared that during rainy season they may of a Bill during the current session to solve come down. It Is, therefore, requested that the purpose while replying to the Motion of necessary financial assistance be given and Thanks on Presidential AddI'8$$ recently. 91 National Commission MAY 11,1992 for Minorities Bill 92 ISh. Sitaram Kesri] Commission for Minorities and to provided for matte~ connected Therefore,l have moved a Motion in this therewith or Incidental thereto, be regard on 4th May, 1992. Now I would taken into consideration.· request the House that this Bill may please be taken into consideration. PROF. RASA SINGH RAWAT (Ajmer): I beg to move: At the outset, I would like to tell you that this bill has been introduced to instill "That the Bill be circulated for the confidence in the minorities and the security purpose of eliciting opinion thereon measures provided in the Constitution are by the 18th August, 1992: fully implemented. MR. SPEAKER: Now Shri Advani. Minority Commission having statutory back up would prove more important and SHRILAL K. AD VAN I (Gandhi Nagar): influential in practice in \h~ State Sir,l rise to oppose this Motion moved by the Governments. administration of the Union hon. Minister. I oppose it not only because of Territories, and departments of Central the contents of this particular Bill, but I Government and other institutions. The Bill oppose it on more basic grounds. I regard it propose to vest such powers in it that would as one more example of the Government's enable the Commission to summon any mishandling of this issue which is ostensibly person, to ensure his presence and related to minorities, but which, I believe, is investigation and presentation of any very much linked up with the unity of this document. The main responsibility of the country. Commission would be monitoring of the implementation of the security measures to As it is, I regard this particular piece of protect the interests of the minorities in the legislation as itI-conceived and retrograde. « Acts of the State Governments and Central will solve no problem; it will create new Government. This Commission would also problems. In fact, it will into achieve anything. investigate any complaint regarding the « will serve no useful purpose. All that it deprivation of rights to minorities and security would is to promote divisiveness which is measures for them. already there and what "the appetite of separatist forces. This is my feeling and «WOUld also organize studies, research therefore it is that I rise to oppose this Bill in and analysis on the issues concerning socio toto. economic and educational development of the minorities, so that proper remedial I had a view that I might plead for a meaSJres for overcoming shortcomings reference to a select committee orcirculation could be taken into conSideration. With these for public opinion, but it would in theory at words, I would request the House that least commit me to accept the principles of provisions of the Bill be taken into the Bill and, therefore, it is that I did not move consideratIOn. any Motion olthat kind and I have soughtthe indulgence of this House to listen to my {Eng/ish] arguments as to why J thought this Bill is iII conceived and why n would be counter- " MR. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Motion productive. Because, I do not want to say' moved' that the Govem~nt deliberately wants to weaken the unity J would not say that. But "Thatt~BilltoconstltuteaNational right from, years back, and in fact, when I 93 National Commission VAISAKHA21, 1914 (SAKA) for Minorities Bill 94 was going through the excellent book, in five fact, an absolutely separate parts of Shri B. Shiva Rao on the "Framing of community, district by marriage, the Indian Constitution- I noticed that the food and custom and claiming in very first sentence under the chapter many cases, to belonging to a race 'Minorities' says that - different frorn the Hindus: "The problem of minorities had This is the thesis propounded by the British bedevilled Indian politics for a long rulers. A thesis which the leaders of the time. It was in fact a one single freedom movement in this country never factor above all others that held up accepted and they aU along felt that this Is the progress of the country towards wrong and it Is p6rverse to think in terms of freedom and independence." Muslims as a separate race, not morally as a separate religion but as a separate race. Now, Shri Sitaram Kesri <l.nd other Jinnah proposed a thesis that they are two learned people on the Treasury Benches nations and therefore they cannot live must be aware that Shri Shiva Rao who was together, co-exist in one country and let us himself a Member of the Constituent have two countries. Step by step at that time Assembly and played a very important role in the British Government, the imperialist the making of the Constitution had written Government, proceeded further. I think, this this excellent treatise. kind of historical background is necessary to understand why in this particular case, some The problem of minorities has not come may think innocuous, I am so strongly before us today. It is a problem that has been opposed to this Bill. I quote Shri B. Shiva with us for many many decades. More Rao. Ha said: particularlY,lthink after 1857, and after 1857 the Blitish Government adopted a certain "Step by step the recognition of approach and that approach landed up us communal claims and communal with this problem and which issue as Shri interests became part of the basic Shiva Rao says, was, in fact, the one single policy of the British Govemment in factor above all others that help up the India. Each step in the direction of progress of the country towards freedom the establishment of popular and independence. The freedom and government and representative independence movement also was thwarted institutions was accompanied by a because of this issue. This is what he says, corresponding emphasis on the and very rightly. obligation of the British Government to ensure that the minorities were And then he recalled how in 1908, the protected from oppression and British Govemment gave to this country exploitation at the hands of the separate electorates. Why did they give majority. them? The Viceroy at that time was Mr. Mintoo and Mr. Minto propounded a thesis, This is the approach adopted by the British's because at that time the two major deliberately .. Again' quote Shri Shiva Rao.: communities in this countrv were the Hindus and the Muslims. He propounded\he\hesis, "\1\ cout~e 0\ \\me \ne ~~n~, \ne and said that Anglo-\ndians, the \ndian Cht\s\ians, the depressed class~s, all these "The Indian Muslims are much more communities were treated as than a religious body.