Kerala Minority commission & NMDFC soon

Kerala, November 21, 2012: The decision to form Kerala Minority Commission which got stuck in the secretariat files will soon turn a reality as the state ministerial level meeting decided to form a three member Minority Commission for the state. It was during the last LDF government’s rule an ordinance was formed on this regard and there was no further progress because the assembly election dates got declared in the meantime. The process was delayed as the files got stuck in the secretariat even after the UDF came to power. It was since then the minority affairs minister Manjalamkuzhi Ali, intervened and obtained permission.

Thanks to the efforts from the part of Minority affairs ministry and Minority Welfare Department [MWD], the state ministerial level meeting have accepted the ordinance to form the three member minority commission and submitted it to the governor for his consent. The commission will turn a reality as soon as the governor gives his consent to it. 16 states, including Gujarat, already have their own minority commission and so this has been a long sought out demand from the part of Muslim organizations in Kerala.

The national minority commission had asked all states to form their own minority commissions and they even had sent a letter to the then Chief Minister on this regard. Kerala despite having organized Muslim political parties to represent them was a failure in accomplishing this task until recently the new Minority affairs minister and MWD made some serious efforts.

The body will be entitled with statutory powers and will have a women representation in the three member commission. The commission will have every right to interfere in matters concerning the constitutional rights of minorities and adopt measures on violence’s or aggressions committed against them. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis and Budhists are the religious sections coming under minority sections in Kerala.

Minority commission could consider including other sections as well subject to the demographic peculiarities of the state. The commission will have the power to grant minority status to educational institutions. For this they have the right to examine documents and call up on officers to seek explanation. The Kerala assembly is soon expected to pass the bill with regard to the minority commission and it is on the way getting drafted. As soon as the Governor gives his consent to the ordinance the commission members will be appointed.

Kerala to form NMDFC

Kerala Minority Welfare Minister Manjalamkuzhi Ali while inaugurating the Madrasa management workshop at Nalanda Auditorium, Kozhikode organised by the Minority Educational Department declared that the National Minority Development & Finance Corporation [NMDFC] will also be formed in the state. NMDFC has been a long sought out demand in the state, with Kozhikode as its headquarters.

Earlier the minority department in Kerala used to function under ministries like Education, Revenue, Home Affairs and now with a separate minister being given the responsibility of minority affairs, the Minority department has started functioning independently in the Secretariat since last 20 days.

The Minister said that the department is planning to allocate house building aid worth two and half Lakh Rupees to the divorced women and a three Lakh Rupee worth aid to help out the educated youth get employed. Besides this the minister assured of plans to provide special assistance to the minority students enrolled in Govt Polytechnic and Engineering colleges.

– tcn