By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Some Delhi based alumni of Aligarh Muslim University are demanding from the UPA government to come out with clear budgetary proposals and law for the minority community, in the same manner the as government is planning for other marginalised communities.
AMU alumni P. Mohammad and Mohammad Aslam earlier this week had met Finance Misntry officials demanding proportionate allocation of budget for the minority community and for greater accountability in the minority welfare schemes.
An English Daily reported today, “The Centre is mulling a law to ensure that 22.5% of the Union Budget is exclusively spent for dalit and tribal welfare, a move seen as an outreach to the Congress support base that is bristling at the party’s failure on the flagship demand to restore reservation in promotions.”
They hence reiterated, “In case of minority Indians, with a population parentage of around 18% of Indian Population, Government is playing a politics of tokenism by allocating very minuscule amount of Rs 3,511 crore.”
They further added, “The Muslim population among the minority Indians constitute around 14% of total Indian population with a history of a strong support base of Congress after independence.”
The allocation of Rs 3,511 Crore for the Ministry of Minority Affairs in the Union Budget 2013-14 is not nearly enough, the government should raise it to Rs 50,000 Crore, they have argued.
They alleged “huge discrimination with minority as far as annual budgetary allocations are concerned in the light of the latest 2013-14 and earlier budgets.”
Speaking to TCN, P. Mohammad hence demanded, “The allocations of budget for minorities on the lines of SC and ST, because minorities particularly Muslims are more backward than SC and ST on socio-economic and educational fronts according to the Sachar Committee report.”
They now want to take everyone on board. “We would like to appeal all secular Indians to raise and sensitize this issue in most secular and democratic manner so that this issue can be heard by policy makers in Delhi and the similar initiatives must be started in line with SC/ST budgetary spending by current UPA regime.”
They are further urging to convene a meeting of all MPs from the minority communities, as well as those ‘secular’ ones supporting the cause, across the political spectrum and also appealed to the young generation to not waste all energy on Babri Mosque, Personal Law, Triple Talaque and Urdu etc., but to also focus on modern education, health, employment and rule of law
Related:
AMU alumni meet FinMin officials over ‘very low budgetary allocations’ for minorities’ welfare