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| Minority Hindus most neglected lot in J&K | | | Early Times Reporter
JAMMU | Oct 11
The minority Hindu community is the most neglected lot in Jammu and Kashmir. While the majority Muslims pocket the lion's share in the benefits and concessions meant for the minorities and backward classes, the other minorities like Sikhs, Christians and Buddhists are treated only marginally better than the main minority Hindus. Out of 753 post metric scholarships earmarked for minority communities in J&K, 707 were marked for the majority Muslim community in the state, the Hindus who are in minority in this state have no share at all in the same. The position of other minority communities too is dismal, with Sikh students getting 22 scholarships, Buddhists 12 and Christians 2. Although Sikhs, Buddhists and Christians are declared minorities even at the national level. their share in the scholarships meant for minorities is much less in proportionate to their population.
Whereas the State Unit of Shiromani Akali Dal which addressed a media conference at Jammu on October 9 lodged their strong protest against discrimination being meted out to the communities who are in minority in J&K, they quoted only figures of scholarships earmarked for students of different communities, there are many other fields where the minority Hindus are meted discriminatory treatment and are subjected to total neglect. The Self Help Group Scheme launched by the Union Ministry for Women and Child Development and being implemented by the Women Development Corporation in J&K is exclusively meant for the minorities at the national level, as Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. The backward and depressed among the Hindu community are totally barred from the benefit of this scheme. Under the scheme, meant for women upliftment, a minimum of ten women can form a self help group, for undertaking any vocational or business venture, to supplement the income of the family and they are entitled to loans at subsidized rates upto Rs 50,000 per member, with subsidy on the same. But the benefit of this scheme are confined to the women belonging to Muslim, Sikh and Christian communities, while even scheduled caste and backward class Hindus are excluded from this scheme.
Yet another example of lopsided minority upliftment program, conceived in keeping with Justice Sachar penal findings and recommendations, even the tribal Gujjars, who are the most backward in the country as well as in the state have been excluded. The minority communities other than the Muslim like Sikhs, Christians and Buddhists too find no place in the recommendations of Sachar penal, which have been accepted by the government and are being implemented.
With the move to identify minorities state wise and not at all India level, initiated by the National Minority Commission having been shelved under pressure from certain quarters, the Hindus in J&K where they are in minority as well as in Mizoram and Nagaland find themselves in a very tight spot and under state of complete frustration. In this regard BSP supreme leader and UP Chief Minister Mayawati's latest suggestion that the poor and backward among upper castes as Brahamns, Rajputs, Mahajans and Khatris etc too be included under the classes who deserve special treatment and reservations, has given a ray of hope to this unfortunate lot. |
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