Minorities Rights Day in India

India is a country that celebrates its diversification. All citizens of India have equal rights under the Indian Constitution, regardless of their linguistic, ethnic, cultural, or religious background. Every year on December 18, India commemorates National Minorities Rights Day to protect the constitutionally protected rights of religious minorities in the country. The United Nations issued the Statement on the Rights of Individuals Belonging to Religious, Linguistic, or Ethnic Minorities in 1992. The Government of India established the National Commission for Minorities the same year.

On January 26, 2006, the Ministry of Minority Affairs was founded. It was created as a division of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. On this Minorities Rights Day in India, let us look at some of the rights and freedoms are given to the country's minorities by the Constitution.

National Minorities Day India Date

Every year on December 18, India's Minorities Day is observed across the country. This day is marked to defend minority communities' rights as a contribution to nation-building and to ensure minorities' security in their own language, caste, religion, culture, tradition, etc.

(Image will be updated soon)

History of Minorities Day in India

On December 18, 2013, India celebrated its first Minorities Rights Day. The United Nations declared the Statement on the Individual Rights of Religious or Linguistic National or Ethnic Minorities on December 18, 1992.

In India, however, a Ministry of Minority Affairs was established for the first time in 2006. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment was divided into this ministry. The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) was founded in 1992 by the National Commission for Minorities Act. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians were the first five religious communities designated as minority communities (Parsis).

Significance

All types of prejudice against minorities must be prohibited, and they must be treated fairly. The day is solely celebrated to raise awareness about the need of preserving the cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity of minority communities. Today, India recognises and protects minority rights under international law, which began with the League of Nations and continued with the passage of many "minority treaties" after the United Nations was established in 1945. Ever since the declarations on the rights of any human being belonging to any Religious Minorities, National or Ethnic Minorities, and Linguistic Minority are celebrated on December 18. The government makes every effort to ensure that their rights to nondiscrimination and equality are protected.

In other words, National Minorities Day in India attempts to ensure that those who are members of a national minority are treated equally to those who are members of the majority. It strengthens communities and encourages people to utilise their own rights.

Ministry for Minorities Rights

Minorities such as Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Zoroastrians (Parsis), Jains, and Buddhists are protected and recognised by the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the National Commission for Minorities in India. In 2006, the Ministry of Minorities Affairs was established as a section of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to ensure that minorities had access to universal civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights.

Besides, the National Commission for Minorities (also referred to as NCM) was founded in 1991 under the National Commission for Minorities Act to protect ethnic minorities' human rights, which are clearly established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international covenants.

What is Article 29 and Article 30 of the Indian Constitution?

Articles 29 and 30 both ensure that minorities have certain rights. Article 29 safeguards minorities' rights by stating that any citizen or group of citizens with a different language, script, or culture has the right to preserve it. Article 29 stipulates that no discrimination will be made on the basis of religion, race, caste, or language, or any combination of these factors.

According to Article 30: “All minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.”

5 Key Points of Constitutional Provisions for Minorities

• "Prohibition of discrimination against citizens on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth"

• "Citizens' right to 'equality of opportunity' in employment and prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth"

• "People's freedom of conscience and right to freely profess, practise and propagate religion - subject to public order, morality and other Fundamental Rights"

• "Right of all religious and linguistic minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice"

• "Freedom of minority-managed educational institutions from discrimination in the matter of receiving aid from the State"

Who are Minorities in India?

Five religious communities in India have been recognised as minorities. Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians or Parsis are among them. Jains were also designated as a minority community after 2014.

Minorities account for 19.30% (23.37 crore) of India's population, according to the 2011 Census. Muslims (14.2 percent), Christians (2.3 percent), Sikhs (1.3 percent), Buddhists (0.7 percent), Jains (0.4 percent), and Parsis are among them. The only states where any designated minority is in majority are Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Lakshadweep.

Minorities Day in India - Quotes

• “Even if you are a minority of one, the Truth is the Truth.” - Mahatma Gandhi

• "No democracy can long survive which does not accept as fundamental to its very existence the recognition of the rights of minorities." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

• "Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better." - Martin Luther King, Jr

• "Discrimination has a lot of layers that make it tough for minorities to get a leg up." - Bill Gates

• "The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities." - Ayn Rand

This day also aids us in gaining a better awareness of minorities' difficulties and concerns about their safety. The Indian Constitution provides equal rights to each of its citizens, including religious, linguistic, and ethnic minorities. On this National Minorities Day, India focuses on the difficulties and challenges that minority communities and groups of various ethnic backgrounds face. This involves the protection of religious, cultural, linguistic, and ethnic minorities rights. The necessity of preserving and safeguarding ethnic minorities' rights and eradicating all types of discrimination against them is highlighted on this day.