Chairman of the National Commission on Minorities (NCM) Tahir Mahmood has recommended that the commission's jurisdiction should be extended to the Hindu minority in the militancy-torn state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Dr. Mahmood said that NCM Act could be adopted by the state assembly. He made the recommendations after the massacre of Kashmiri Pandits near Srinagar recently.

In his recommendation, Dr. Mahmood has said that the state government has said that the state government should set up a minority commission, and if it was not in a position to do so, it should ratify the Parliamentary legislation "so that we are able to take the state under our jurisdiction to protect the interests of minorities there."

... "There is a general feeling that minority in this country means Muslims. This is not correct. There are other minorities as well. When we speak of majority and minority, these are numerical expressions".

"Like many other Acts, NCM Act is also not applicable in J&K. Also, according to the NCM Act, Hindus are not an identified minority. This mindset needs to be changed".

He stressed that the minority status is not a status to he conferred hv the government. This is only a recognition for the purposes of exercise of power residing in us. Therefore, we try and look into the interests of minorities at the state-level as well.

Dr. Mahmood's recommendation for bringing Kashmiri Hindus under its jurisdiction, if accepted would go a long way in correcting the commission's image as well.

"Generally, there is a feeling that NCM is meant for looking after the interest of the Muslims, appeasing the Muslims and securing for the Muslims something which is not due to them. This is mot amusing, shocking, and surprising in my personal opinion". .

"This perception that we have been looking after the interest of only the Muslim community is baseless. We have been bringing out the newsletters which are edited by me. In them, we deliberately put into all the major decisions and actions taken, just to tell to readers, that we are catering not only to the interest of Muslims but of other minorities too".

"States cooperation in protecting the rights of the minorities was must. Expressing concern over non- renewal of state commission's terms in Maharashtra and Rajasthan, he said the Centre should immediately release funds to set up the regional NCM.                                                                                                                  (Source: The Times of India, 5 March, 1998)

 NCM Meetings and Major Decisions July, 1997 - February, 1998

Since June 1997 the Commission has had the following meetings:

Fifth meeting                          17 June 1997

Sixth meeting                         22 July 1997

Seventh meeting                     26 August 1997

Eighth meeting                       30 September 1997

Ninth meeting                         27 October 1997

Tenth meeting                         2 & 3 December, 1997

Eleventh meeting                    9 February, 1998

Since July 1997 the following major recommendations have been made:

(i)              Constitution of a Former Judges' Committee by the Union Home Ministry for reviewing all cases of TADA detenus and recommending proper action.

(ii)            Provision of facility by the U.P. Government to the Members of the State Legislature to take oath in their mother tongue including Urdu.

(iii)          Arrangements for tabling of Commission's Statutory Recommendations promptly in Parliament or the State Legislature, as the case may be, as early as these are made, in terms of sub-sections (2) and (3) of Section 9 of the National Commission for Minorities Act 1992.

(iv)           Proper revision of the Haj Committee Act 1959 and streamlining of official arrangements for Haj pilgrimage.

(v)             Effective arrangements for payment of adequate compensation to all the victims of all riots -irrespective of religion - in accordance with the Delhi High Court Ruling relating to victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots of Delhi

(vi)           The Commission considered the complaint received from the Muslims of Coimbatore regarding the recent communal carnage in the city and decided to send its own investigation team to Coimbatore after the forthcoming elections.

(vii)         The Commission expressed dissatisfaction on the reluctance of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to have a joint meeting with it to discuss matters of common interest and deputed the Vice-Chairman to further pursue the proposal with NCSCST.

(viii)       Expressing dissatisfaction over the reported move of the University Grants Commission to stop grants of the Minority Educational Institutions pending settlement of the disputed issue of reservation for SC/ST candidates among the teachers/students in those Institutions, the Commission directed its office to seek from the UG full details of the law, if any, which enabled the UGC to take such a step.                     (Source: NCM Newsletter, Winter 1997 and Vol. II, NO.1)

 India: Muslim Population, States, in Descending Order of SMP as % of SP

India Total(TNP) : 816.170                Muslim (NMP) : 105.555 Average % : 12.93

Percentage of Urban Muslim Literates with Urdu Medium Education, 1990-93

(Source: Ahmad Aijazuddin, 1994-96, Muslims in India, Vol. I-IV)

Average Size of Family, Sex Ratio, Percentage of Female Age Group 0-14 Years (Urban) 1990-93

1991 Census: Comparative Female/Male Ratio

Percentage Distribution of Urban Female Literates by Education Level, 1990-93

(Source: Ahmad Aijazuddin, 1994-96, Muslims in India, Vol. I-IV)

Sex Ratio: Total and Muslim Population, 1991

(Source: Census of India 1991, Series I India Part IV B(II) Religious Table C-9)