If people of a particular religion are in small numbers in a country then they are declared a minority. At present 6 religions are declared minority in India. Which includes Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Parsi, Muslim and Jain religions. In the beginning there were only five religions. In the year 2014, Jainism was also included in this category. But there are still some states like this in India. Where Hindus also come under the category of minorities. That means their population there is also less. But there they have not got the status of minorities. Whereas according to the law they should have been declared a minority. Because their population is less in that state. Let us know what the law made in India says to declare someone a minority.
Laws for minorities in India
In 1978, the Union Home Ministry had talked about forming a commission for minorities. It was said in the proposal that despite the rights and laws given in the Constitution, the situation of minorities in the country is not good. And keeping this in view, the National Minorities Commission Act was made in the year 1992 and it was announced in 1993. Special rights have been given to religious and linguistic minorities in Articles 29 and 30 of the Indian Constitution. According to Article 29(1) of the Constitution, people of any community living in any state of India or any area which has its own regional language, script or culture, will have the full right to preserve that area.
Hindus are not in minority category
There are a total of 8 states in India where the Hindu population is less than 50 percent. That means, in a way, Hindus are in the minority category in those states. Due to this, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court in the year 2017. In which it was said to protect the interests of minorities in Jammu and Kashmir. Hindus are in minority in Jammu and Kashmir and Muslim population is more there. It was told in the petition that in the year 2007-2008, the Central Government had given 20,000 scholarships for minorities at the national level. Under which 753 scholarships were received in Jammu and Kashmir. Out of which Muslims got 717 scholarships. Whereas Muslims are not a minority in Jammu and Kashmir.
Hindu minority in these 8 states
Lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay had filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court. He said that Hindus should be given minority status in eight states of India. Because the population of Hindus is less in these eight states. These eight states include Jammu Kashmir, Punjab, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Nagaland, States like Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur were included. But on this, the bench of the then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that only the National Minorities Commission can decide the matters related to minorities. That is why the petitioner should go to the Minority Commission. Overall, Hindus cannot be declared a minority under any circumstances.
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