By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Kochi: The Kerala government decided to form Minorities Commission in the state. The decision is according to the suggestion of the National Minorities Commission. Members of the commission and their number etc will be decided later. The central government had directed all states to form their respective minorities’ commissions after the formation of the National Minorities Commissions in 2002.
The state government had reportedly taken some measures in the regard but did not go any further. In the meantime, the centre directed the states to form the commission if they had not yet formed it. The National Minorities’ Commission visited the state in February 2009 and again directed to form the commission. The present decision has come according to this direction. The centre directed that the commission should be formed even though there were facilities like the corporation for the development of the backward classes in the state. Mainly Muslims and Christians would come under the commission in the state. Sikhs, Parsis and Jains also would be included. The representation of the commission would be according to the constitution of minorities in the state. The functioning, duties etc of the commission would be decided later. Whether the commission would have statutory powers would depend on the rules in the central law in the matter.