To,
1:Honorable Prime Minister,
Government of India
Race 7 Course Road, Trimurti Marg Area,
New Delhi, 110001.
2: Honorable Union Minister,
Minority Assignments Ministry,
11th Floor, Environment house, CGO Complex,
Lodhi Road, New Delhi, 110003.
Subject: Request to incorporate Sindhis, (Displaced, state-less and linguistic minority) in National Minority Act 1922 Article 2(iii) and notify as Minority community.
Respected sir,
We humbly want to draw your honour’s attention towards Sindhi community of India who are neglected, state less and linguistic minority and are bearing pains and strife since 1947 and are struggling hard for a respectable life after being displaced and devastated in our own country after partition.
Sir, under Rehabilitation Scheme, Government of India had made certain insufficient arrangements for settlement of Sindhis in different cities of various states in 1950. Since the whole community was scattered, and engaged in struggle for livelihood and resettlement, they could not raise any unified voice demanding their legitimate rights since then.
In 1953, the State Rehabilitation Committee appointed by the Indian government for the purpose of rehabilitation of states was expected to give a small state to the Sindhi community, but based on the assumption of the report given by the State Rehabilitation Committee in 1956, Sindhi community was devoid of formation of a separate state based on linguistic basis. Consequently, in an arrangement based on regeneration of states on the basis of languages aligned to the federal structure of the country, the idea of social, financial and political development and its benefits could not reach Sindhi community. In spite of being the residents of India, Sindhis were not able to get the benefits of even social justice. Along with this, they have been the victims of neglected behavior of central and state governments in power. The perfect example of this neglected behavior is the negligible number of representatives of this community in administrative, judicial and political positions.
Respected Sir, in the current scenario, a major portion of Sindhi community is leading a life of disappointment, hopelessness and neglect. After sixty-eight years of struggle with the social problems, this community is intensely feeling the insensitivity of the government at all levels. It is clearly visible that all other minority communities in India are being empowered bycontinuous and commendable efforts of the Government of India, even those which were not as displaced as Sindhis were, neither they had to leave their motherland for reconstitution/making of India and nor they had to face the brunt of the offense of separation.
Sir, in electoral strength being a minority (essential condition for participating, winning and make somebody win in democracy) we are unable to effectively participate in the political process like other communities do, hence we do not have our own representatives as MPs and MLAs who can put forth our problems before the assemblies of the states and the nation.
Respected Sir, taking cognizance of the fact that we own Indus civilization’s finest image in terms of an ideal society, peacefulness and secular views and have never descended to the streets of the country to fulfill our demands and never adopted any violent or wrong means for the same. We have always contributed for the growth and development of the nation by our creative and positive thoughts and deeds. We are very sorry to note that against the basic feelings of the constitution, government has never made any efforts to ensure the participation of Sindhi community at social, political and administrative levels. No government plans or policies exhibit anyschemes for Sindhi Community.
With a desire that government pays attention to above mentioned points, India’s most displaced, province-less and minority community (keeping in mind that till now Government has not issued any notification for any linguistic minority under section 2(iii) of National Commission of Minority Act 1992) demands from Indian government that Sindhi community should be enlisted in minority list under section 2(iii) of National Commission of Minority Act 1992 based on following points:
1) In the constitution there is no explanation of the word Minority. In Article 29 and 30 of the Indian constitution, protection of rights of minorities based on only religion and language (both) is mentioned. Based on the standards adopted by the Honorable Commission, Sindhi community also meets those standards and falls under the parameters of the same.
2) Part IV of Constitution – Policy director principle relates to people’s social and financial rights. Sindhi community has been devoid of these rights till now.
A) It is the responsibility of the state, to bring to an end, the inequalities existing between persons/communities living in various areas and also between persons/communities engaged in different kinds of business. (Article 38 (2))
B) It is the responsibility of the state to focus on weaker sections (other than scheduled caste , scheduled tribe and nomadic tribe) and concentrate on their educational and economic welfares and hence uplift them.
3) Article 51(A) is relevant for minorities which encourages:-
A. It is the responsibility of every citizen to encourage brotherhood in spite of all religious, linguistic, regional and class inequalities.
B. It is the responsibility of every citizen to give importance to our rich heritage and culture.
4) United Nations Declaration – On 18th December 1992, in order to strengthen minorities, United Nations made a declaration in relation to religious and linguistic rights of minorities – “Every nation must protect national, caste-related, religious and cultural rights and existence of minorities, and in order to maintain their existence, must treasure their existence.”
5) According to Section 2(iii) of National commission of Minority Act, 1992 Central government has been given right to notify minorities. Indian government has notified Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains as minority under Section 2(iii) of National commission of Minority Act, 1992. Under this act, Sindhi community to be notified under minority is justified.
6) Sindhi community has been given the right to protect its language, script and culture under Article 29(1), because of which it also comes in purview of minority community.
7) Displaced and province-less Sindhi community is a linguistic minority, which has suffered the pain of partition the most. In such conditions, Sindhi community to be notified as minority becomes crucial under Section 2(iii) of National Commission of Minority Act, 1992 so that Sindhi community can partake in the welfare schemes undertaken by government for minorities and this community can preserve its unique script, language and culture along with preservation of its identity and existence.
8) Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution, added a new dimension in definition of minorities, where notification of any community as minority was kept above state boundaries and religious bases and using detailed non-technical meaning, he stated that along with cultural, linguistic minorities are also included under category of minorities.To whatever state these communities move, in constitutional terms, linguistic minorities will be treated as cultural minorities and their minority status will be protected. Hence this article provides protection not only to religious minorities but also to linguistic and cultural minorities. Hence if we respect the feelings of the architect of our Constitution, Sindhi community deserves to be notified as minority community under Section 2(iii) of National commission of Minority Act, 1992.
With hope of full co-operation
Warm regards
Yours faithfully
City :
Date :
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