Time for a New Approach to Minority Welfare in India

Relevance: GS Paper I

Why in News?

The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister's report details significant demographic shifts within India's minority communities from 1950 to 2015. The report raises concerns about resource allocation and the need for sub-categorisation of minorities to ensure equitable distribution of welfare benefits.

UN declaration on minority rights:

• On December 18, 1992, the United Nations adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious, and Linguistic Minorities (UNDM).
• This adoption period coincided with global upheavals such as the disintegration of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, and the Gulf Wars, making it a pivotal time for minority rights advocacy.
• According to Article 1 of this declaration, each state is responsible for safeguarding and promoting the existence and national or ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic identity of minorities within their respective territories. Furthermore, countries are strongly encouraged to establish their own legislation to address this matter.
• It is a non-binding declaration that remains the sole global instrument specifically addressing minority rights.
• However, legally binding provisions exist at the international level, such as Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 30 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Article 5 of the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education, which protects minority rights.

India's commitment to minority rights:

• India has demonstrated a strong commitment to minority rights, following the guidelines of the UN declaration by establishing the National Commission for Minorities in 1993. This commission recognises Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, and Jains as minority communities.
• Even prior to the establishment of such institutions, India has consistently upheld the rights of minority groups.
• It provided refuge to the Parsi community when they faced persecution in various regions of West Asia. Similarly, embraced the Jewish community as its own during their torment in Europe.
• As the first colony to ensure the protection of minority rights upon gaining independence, India has always championed this cause.
• Despite these efforts, India faces criticism from certain Western institutions regarding its handling of minority rights.

‘Share of Religious Minorities – A Cross-Country Analysis’ report:

• The recent report by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) titled, ‘Share of Religious Minorities – A Cross-Country Analysis’ highlights the positive outcomes of India’s continued commitment to uplift the minority community.
• According to the report, the Muslim population’s share increased from 9.84% in 1950 to 14.09% in 2015, marking a 43.15% increase.
• The Christian population’s share rose from 2.24% to 2.36%, a 5.38% increase between 1950 and 2015.
• The Sikh population’s share also increased from 1.24% in 1950 to 1.85% in 2015, a rise of 6.58%.
• The Buddhist population’s share witnessed a significant increase from 0.05% in 1950 to 0.81%.
• The Jain population’s share in India decreased from 0.45% in 1950 to 0.36% in 2015.
• The Parsi population’s share in India experienced a drastic decline of 85%, reducing from 0.03% in 1950 to 0.004% in 2015.

Concerns highlighted:

• Unequal growth among minorities: While the report highlights the rise in the population of Muslim, Christian, Sikh, and Buddhist populations, a large portion of this increase is attributed to the Muslim community. Conversely, the Jain and Parsi populations have declined.

• Resource allocation within minorities: In states like Kerala, there is already growing discontent within the Christian community, as the majority of welfare schemes designated for minority populations tend to benefit the Muslim community.

• Such an unequal distribution of welfare schemes and benefits may eventually lead to a rift that could impact the country's social harmony.
• While there is an increase in state funding for Islamic learning institutions in some states, other minority religions receive minimal support.

• • • Some states prioritise Arabic education, but the same attention is not given to Latin, Pali or even Sanskrit languages.

• Potential for fiscal imbalances and social divisions: The Hindu population in India decreased by 7.82% between 1950 and 2015, going from 84.68% to 78.06%. This decline is worrisome for the majority community and raises questions about the concept of secularism as defined by the Constitution.

• • Whether it is necessary to redefine the principles of secularism in the Constitution can only be determined over time.
  • If the majority population continues to decline, this will impact the structure of the population pyramid. Historically, a decrease in the population of the majority religion has resulted in significant demographic changes and economic implications.
    • Such a shift can lead to significant fiscal imbalances and social divisions in a country with a high population growth rate.
• Resource management within a nation: The United Nations population projection for India suggests that in April 2023, India surpassed China as the most populous nation, bringing challenges in managing natural resources and social services. 

Way forward:

• Need for Sub-Categorisation: The report encourages consideration of whether implementing sub-categories within minority groups or prioritising marginalised minorities is necessary to design government welfare schemes effectively.

• Smart resource allocation and management: Population growth necessitates realigning resources and reassessing priorities to sustain growth momentum. Only through such proactive measures can one genuinely champion the rights of minorities.

• • In light of this, it is crucial for the State to allocate resources carefully to create a conducive atmosphere for people from other minority communities as well.

• Language education: While opportunities should be provided for the development of minority communities as a whole, special emphasis should also be placed on addressing the needs of smaller minorities within these communities to maintain social balance.

• • The thrust should be given to the development of linguistic minorities alongside religious minorities.

• Strengthening border controls and immigration policy: Rigorous border controls and a robust immigration policy are needed to regulate entry from neighbouring countries, especially those with a poor track record of protecting minorities.

• Formal inclusion of linguistic minorities: India should formally define and include linguistic minorities within the broader definition of minorities.

• Revising the minority status list: Communities that have demonstrated consistent progress in socio-economic indicators since independence could be removed from the list, allowing for the inclusion of more marginalised groups.

• This would effectively broaden the scope of minorities in India.
• Reconsidering the definition of minority status: It is necessary to reconsider how the minority status is defined, taking into account population growth and regional categorisation.

Conclusion:

There is a significant demographic shift within India's minority communities and the resultant need for tailored welfare schemes and resource allocation. There is a need to revisit minority definitions and implement robust policies to address disparities and maintain social harmony. These measures are seen as essential to leverage India’s demographic potential as it aims to become the world's third-largest economy.