LINGUISTIC MINORITIES
2. In Article 345 of the Constitution after the existing proviso, the following proviso shall be added, namely:-
"Provided further that the languages, which have been declared as their mother tongue by not less than ten per cent of the population of a State, or of any district, block or panchayat therein, and which have been recognized by the State for educational purposes, shall be declared as additional official languages of the State to be used in administration, for specified purposes, in the State as a whole or in specified parts thereof, as the case may be
3. Article 347 of the Constitution shall be omitted.
STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS
All national languages recognized in the Constitution or by educational authorities are majority languages in one or more States but each one of them is a minority language in other States or Union territories. Also the States or the Union territories may have a majority language in the State but that language itself may constitute a minority within the same State, sometimes at the district and more often at the block and Panchayat levels.
All linguistic groups have a common aspiration to be recognized officially in the field of education, mass information and administration at least for specified purposes. Some States have taken ad hoc legislative and executive steps in this regard. What is needed is a national norm to eliminate frustration and agitation and to ensure that no linguistic group anywhere feels deprived.
Any language which is recognized by the State for educational purposes and declared by some people of the State as their mother tongue should have the status of additional official language (apart from the principal official language of the State) at the State, District, Block/Tehsil and Panchayat levels, if it is spoken by at least 10 per cent of the population at that level. The norm may also specify the limited purposes for which the additional official languages shall be used.
The implementation of such a norm will go a long way to give a sense of participation to the citizens who form a linguistic minority at the appropriate level, particularly under the Panchayati Raj institutions. It may be added that at the State level, nearly 20 percent of our population constitutes linguistic minorities but if the linguistic minorities at district, block, tehsil and panchayat level are to be added, the total proportion of linguistic minorities at various levels would be substantially higher.
The existing provision of article 347 of the Constitution has been rarely used while the linguistic in all States have been frustrated in their effort to find an adequate place for their language in education and administration. It is, therefore, necessary to replace the recommendatory provision under article 347 by a mandatory provision under article 345 so that their legitimate aspirations can be fully accommodated.
Al-Ameen Scholarship Committee
The Al-Ameen Educational Society, Bangalore constituted the Al-Ameen Scholarship Committee under the chairmanship of Alhaj Farook Mahmood.
During the year 1994-95 about 1721 students have received financial assistance by way of fees and uniforms.
A sum of Rs. 6,32,444/- was collected as donations and contributions by way of Zakath during the year 1994- 95. A target of Rs. 10,00,000/- has been fixed for the current year. Apart from the Al-Ameen Scholarships, the Committee also awards the following scholarships:
1. Al-Ameen Hamid Alijan Memorial Scholarships.
2. Al-Ameen Haji M.A. Razack Scholarships.
3. Al-Ameen Sadiq Ali Shariff Scholarships.
4. Al-Ameen Irshad Basith Scholarships.
5. Al-Ameen Mohd. Ghouse Memorial Scholarships
6. Al-Ameen C. Abdul Kareem Memorial Scholarships.
7. HJ.S. Scholarships.
8. Al-Ameen Khathija Beeve Memorial Scholarships.
9. Dr. Farooq Tareen & Dr. Nazira Tareen Endowment Scholarships.
10. M/s A.R. Khaeel and Family Endowment Scholarships.
11. Al-Ameen A.R. Chida Endowment Fund Scholarships.
12. Al-Ameen Osman Abdulla Endowment Fund Scholarships.
Address: Alhaj Irfan Razack
Hony. Secretary,
Al-Ameen Educational Society
109, Millia Building, 2nd Floor,
N.R. Road, Bangalore - 560 002.
Freedom of opinion is fine, but... freedom can be a kind of madness. One can be critical but not sneering. That is why I do not feel sympathetic towards Rushdie.
- Nissim Ezekiel
On Salman Rushdie's The Moor's Last Sigh,
