By Mahtab Alam for TwoCircles.net,
Yet another National Minority Rights’ Day, the day about which you can’t find single information on the official website of National Commission for Minorities (NCM) except some about Minority Rights’ Awards. But forgive them, a website named, www.indianchild.com tells us what is the day about. “The National Commission for Minorities celebrates the Minority Rights Day every year on December 18. The commission has played a major role in protecting the rights of the minority communities and in bringing about better understanding among the various religious minority communities in India,” it reads. Though we are yet to know, why it is been celebrated on 18th of December.
But let us ask, how do NCM protect the rights of minorities? According to Minister of Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid told Rajya Sabha on 17th March 2010, during 2008-09 a total number of 2,268 complaints from different quarters. And the complaints were regarding law & order, economic matters, cultural rights, religion based harassment, waqf matters, and compensation for the victims of the riots.” No information is available on how many of these complaints were resolved,” he informed the Rajya sabha. When one tries to know status of complaints now, the section—Complaint Monitoring System, on the official website of the Commission, it reads “Under Construction.”
If one have a look on the budget and expenditure of the year 2009-10, the highest amount is spent on Salary i.e Rs. 323.43 lakhs, which is around 72% of the total expenditure of the year.On the other hand on research studies and publications, it has spent only Rs. 4.14 lakhs which amounts even lower than medical treatment, Rs. 5.85 lakhs. What about annual plan of action? There are 35 items or work listed to be done during the year of 2010-11. Most of the works are procedural in its nature like preparation of annual reports, News Letter, Updating of website the Commission, etc, except workshops for training and sensitization. Regarding website updation it says, it may be done by second quarter of the year, but what we can see it is yet to be updated.
One wonders, it is what NCM meant for! .
Perhaps, yes. That’s what it meant for if one have look of the profile of the members of the commission. There are 5 members in the commission including Vice Chairman and there has been no Chairman since September 2nd, 2010 when last chairman Shafi Qureshi completed his term. The current NCM consists of two Congress party member, one retired civil servant, one advertising professional and there is no details about fifth person except his name. Mr. Harvendra Singh Haspal, who is portrayed as the representative of Sikh community is a retired congressman and a former M. P. of Rajya Sabha.
His credentials reads, “Became Senior Vice President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee in 1992 when Late S. Beant Singh was President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Later remained Senior Vice President of the PPCC under the leadership of Capt. Amarinder Singh. The Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi deputed him as Observer for many states in the elections held to the Parliament and various State Assemblies.Widely traveled as he is, Sh. Hanspal has led political and official delegations to many countries. Has been General Secretary of the Minorities Department of the AICC and Chairman of the Disciplinary Action Committee of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee till he was elevated to the coveted post of President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee on 31st of July 2002.”
TCN Photos
While Christians have no representative, but the worst is the ‘representative’ of Muslims, Mrs. Syeda Bilgrami Imam, an Advertising and Communication professional. Her profile reads, “Her Public Service work too has been highly acclaimed and awarded (including Max Lewis): on Road Safety and Loss Prevention, on the Girl Child, Conservation, Afforestation, Communal Harmony, Family Welfare. Anti-Dowry, Blood Donation and Nation-building (11 Mera Bharat Mahan films). “What work she has done for the Muslims? She has written a book on Charminar, Hyderabad and something on Rumi. Is not that more than enough to be the Muslim member in the National Commission on Minorities?
Link: http://ncm.nic.in