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Islam, Christianity alien, so cannot get quota: BJP
2010-03-26 19:30:00
'Islam and Christianity are alien' to India and, therefore, the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) feels people from the minority groups,
even if their socio-economic condition is low, should not be given the
privilege of quota in jobs, legislative bodies and education, a party
official said Friday.
At a press conference here, BJP's newly-appointed spokesperson Ramnath
Kovind called for scrapping of the Ranganath Misra commission report
that recommends 15 percent quota in government jobs for socially and
economically backward sections among religious and linguistic
minorities in India.
The National Commission on Religious and Linguistic Minorities, headed
by Justice Ranganath Misra, former chief justice of India, has in its
report also recommended inclusion of Muslim and Christian converts as
Scheduled Castes and given a quota to that category.
'No, that is not possible,' said Kovind. 'Including Muslims and
Christians in the Scheduled Castes category will be unconstitutional.
Asked how Sikh Dalits were enjoying the quota privilege in the same
category, Kovind said: 'Islam and Christianity are alien to the
nation.'
He said that 'it is very well known' that convert Dalit Christians and
Muslims get better education in convent schools.
'The educational level of Scheduled Caste children remains much lower
than that of convert Dalits and Muslims. The children of converts will
grab major share of reservation in government jobs. They would become
eligible to contest elections on seats reserved for Scheduled Castes.
This would encourage conversion and fatally destroy the fabric of
Indian society,' he said.
'The Misra commission report should be scrapped because (its
recommendations) will jeopardise the interests of Scheduled Castes,'
he said.
The Misra panel report, which was tabled in parliament Dec 18, 2009,
has defined religious and linguistic minorities as backward classes
and recommended 15 percent reservation for all minorities in jobs,
education and welfare schemes.
Of India's 1.2 billion population, Muslims form the largest minority
at close to 14 percent, followed by Christians at 2.3 percent, Sikhs
at 1.9 percent, Buddhists at 0.8 percent, Jains at 0.4 percent and
others including Parsis at 0.6 percent.
'Within the recommended 15 percent earmarked seats in institutions
shall be 10 percent for the Muslims and the remaining 5 percent for
the other minorities,' the report had suggested.
The recommendations have triggered a row with Hindu parties severely
opposing it. The government itself is doubtful about the
implementation of the recommendations.
However, the Supreme Court in a ruling Thursday gave legitimacy to
minority reservation by allowing four percent quota in jobs for
backward Muslims in Andhra Pradesh. This could give a push to the
Congress to go ahead with implementing the Ranganath Misra report
recommendations.
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