Write or Call the National Commission for Minorities

THE ISSUE

In response to long-standing demands to give the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) constitutional status and arm it with adequate powers to discharge it duties, a bill has now been introduced in the Lok Sabha. This bill is at present under consideration of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment headed by Shrimati Samitra Mahajan.

The standing committee has issued an advertisement on 15 June 2005 in some newspapers asking for suggestions from experts, organisations and individuals. These suggestions are to reach the committee on or before 24 June 2005.

ACTION(S) REQUESTED

IMC-USA urges all concerned to immediately write and call to the Standing Committee with suggestions including the following demands through a memorandum:

1. The NCM must have judicial powers.

2. The NCM must enjoy investigative powers and have adequate personnel to investigate cases brought to its attention.

3. The NCM’s budget must be made at par with NHRC.

4. The NCM’s annual reports must be presented in Parliament in time and made public.

All respondents should also ask for opportunity to be heard personally as this will give more weightage to their views.

Please call/write to:

Mr RK Saxena
Deputy Secretary, Lok Sabha Secretariat
Room No. 160, Parliament House Annexe
New Delhi 110 001

Email: rksaxena@sansad.nic.in

Tel: 2303-4091, 2303-4866, 2303-4091; fax: 2301-6166, 2301-0756

TALKING POINTS

1. It is well-known that the NCM as it exists today is toothless. Its annual reports have not been tabled in Parliament for the last eight years.

2. Government departments do not take its communications and orders seriously. Bureaucrats choose to ignore its summons.

3. Unlike the National Commissions for Human Rights/Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes, the NCM lacks judicial and investigative powers. Its budget is so meagre, and staff so minuscule that it cannot undertake the tasks faced by it to safeguard the interests of the minorities in the country.

4. The new bill too is in fact old wine in new bottles with cosmetic modifications. Nothing substantial has changed.