Republic Day is celebrated to commemorate that Dr Ambedkar along with the other founding fathers put together the binding guide book the “Constitution of India” to govern our land which empowered us with freedom of thought, expression, belief and worship. They promised us social, economic and political justice and equality of status and opportunity.
The Constitution, being federal in nature, clearly states that India is a “Union of States” for which each State has its own government, duly elected through its State Legislature, which is empowered to make all inclusive laws suitable to the needs and welfare of all its citizens.
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Later the then Union Government constituted a statutory body called National Commission for Minorities under the provisions of the “National Commission of Minorities Act, 1992”, so as to safeguard the constitutional and the legal rights of the minorities. Accordingly five religious communities were notified as minorities viz Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) and since 2014, Jains have also now been notified as a minority community.
Our Constitution also provides that every State can enact such statutory bodies and set up the State Minorities Commission.
The former BJP-led Government had many Christian legislators including the Dy. Chief Minister and had four supporting Christian legislators from South Goa, including a Minister, but had failed to set up a Goa State Minority Commission (GSMC), although their manifesto of 2012 had clearly mentioned to set up one.
Our State has a considerable population of well-qualified more than 26 per cent of Christians and Muslims but sadly not even 2 per cent of its educated class are employed in the Government of Goa. It is alarming that the minority population in Goa is reduced to 26% from 46% at the time of liberation, and still be accused of conversion is a worrisome time for the minorities who are citizens with equal rights enshrined in the Constitution of India.
On 16th January, 1967, the Goa status referendum, popularly known as Opinion Poll conclusively decided to retain Goa as a Union Territory primarily with the efforts of the Christians and Muslim minorities. Subsequently on 30th May 1987 Statehood was also achieved by the efforts of the then Congress governments at the State and Centre on account of considerable involvement of the Christians pleading for Statehood with its own Konkani language in both scripts so that Goa could have its own Legislative Assembly consisting of 40 MLAs.
Articles 14 to 16 of the Constitution guarantee Equality before Law, Non- discrimination and Equality of Opportunity in the matters of public employment respectively. Though the State is not prevented to make reservations for State employments for various socially backward classes, very few of such reservations have been applicable to Christian backward class. So increase in the OBC reservation quota has failed to fulfill its objective, if the Goan Christian backward classes are not properly accommodated.
“A civilisation can be judged by the way it treats its minorities,” said Mahatma Gandhi.
Thus there is an urgent need to socially uplift and safeguard the security and economic interests of the Christians, Muslims and other minorities and this can be achieved only by providing them with Constitutional bodies such as the State Minorities Commission to redress their grievances. There is a growing fear in the minds of the Christian and Muslim minorities in Goa with the present violent attacks on Churches, Christian and Muslim prayer gatherings in the rest of our country.
Economic necessities for achieving better living conditions are leading the well English educated Christian minorities to migrate to Christian majority countries such as to Europe, Canada, and Australia for better job opportunities and improved living conditions.
Assurances to the minority community made publicly should be fulfilled. In March 2012, the BJP had stated in their ‘Election Manifesto’ that a “Minority Commission” will be established. This promise till date has not been fulfilled and Goa remains without a Minority Commission.
Finally the Indian National Congress Party who has governed our State for a considerable period solely with the secular vote bank of Christian and Muslim minorities but without constituting a GSMC has now promised one in their recently published manifesto. It is therefore incumbent upon the government which wins the mandate of its people on 14 instant to ensure that such promises of constituting a “Goa State Minorities Commission” are fulfilled by the State Authorities without much procrastination.
