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Some of the important Recommendations of the Commission are as under:
1. The commission made a recommendation to the major recruiting agencies like UPSC, SSC, Banking recruitment Board, Railway recruitment board that no competitive / recruitment examination should be fixed on the occasions of festival of any minority community.
2. The Commission recommended the department of personnel and training that Easter holiday, which falls on Sunday should be specified as holiday in official calendar.
3. The Commission recommended to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs that the problem of Afghan National of Indian origin should be dealt in a most sympathetic manner and if necessary in relaxation of the provision of the foreigners act. Govt. of India may give amnesty to all of them in so far as Passports and other documents are concerned.
4. The Afghan Hindu, Sikhs welfare society, C-128, Greater Kailash-I, New Delhi may be considered as representative organization of Afghan refugees of Indian Origin and they may be authorized to authenticate the names of all the refugees.
5. The Commission recommended to the Govt. of Himachal Pradesh to make:-
(i) adequate arrangement for facilitating teaching of Punjabi language at Paonta Sahib.
(ii) to take proper measures to safeguard the Sardar Sobha Singh Art Gallery at Andretta near Palan Pur and make it a Tourist spot.
6. The Commission recommended that the Ministry of Finance should evolve an interest subsidiary scheme for the riot affected Minorities Communities in respect of all the future communal riots on the patter of the Central Interest Subsidy Scheme (revised for Nov. 1984 riot affected borrowers)
7. The Commission recommended to the state Govt. of Karnataka that it should evolve definite guideline to identify the Govt. orders that needs to be translated into Urdu, instead of leaving it to the discretion of Linguistic Minority Section of the Department of Personnel of the State Government.
8. The Central / State Government should initiate immediate action for return of Kashmiri Pandits living in camps at Jammu and other places and their rehabilitation Government should create 'Security Zones' in selected places of Kashmir, both in urban and rural areas.
9. The general impression amongst the migrants that financial aid given for the purpose is not utilized fully for their benefit needs to be dispelled by ensuring total transparency in utilization of funds and involvement of the camp migrants in the management of these camps.
10. The State / Central Government should prepare a directory of all the immovable properties left by Kashmiri pandits in the valley and should constitute a supervisory body to look after these properties with a view to ensure that revenue earned by these properties reaches their rightful owners. The leave salary being paid to Kashmiri Pandits should be gradually discontinued ensuring that they are assigned suitable jobs in the Valley, Jammu or even in the officers of the Central Govt. They should be paid full salary instead of remaining without work and getting leave salary.
11. The State / Central Govt. should ensure greater involvement of Sikhs and Kashmiri Pandits in Political Institutions. The appropriate representation of Sikhs in the State Employment and services should be ensured over a period of time. The State/ Central Govt. should evolve a consistent policy of rehabilitation of the families of those who are killed due to Militancy in Kashmir, immediate payment of compensation @ Rs. 2.5 lakhs for those killed and employment to one of the family members of the deceased should be ensured.
12. The Sikhs Kashmiris recruited in Central forces under the scheme of compassionate appointment should be placed anywhere in India to ensure their emotional integration with the country.
13. The Commissioned visited Malpura and Tonk in Rajasthan on July 18-19, 2000. On the basis of the discussions held during the visit with the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, Chairman, State Minorities Commission, other senior officials and non-officials the Commission made the following recommendations.
(i) Peace Committees in the Districts with younger elements should be activated to make them more effective.
(ii) Arrangements for periodical dialogues with representaitves of various communities of District, Divisional and State Level, for creating better understanding and cordial atmosphere be initiated.
(iii) Posting of personnel particularly in violence prone districts with secular credentials should be done to build morale and give confidence to minorities.
(iv) The senior officials in vulnerable districts should coordinate their movements to the extend possible so that at least one of them should stay at headquarters.
(v) The State Minorities Commission should have a representative of the Christian community.
(vi) Causes leading to social conflicts with communal overtones in which innocent lives are lost need to be considered in dept for taking remedial / preventive steps. Confidence building exercise would be an essential part of any such initiative.
(vii) A minority Cell should be set up reporting directly to Chief Minister to monitor and review, from time to time, preemptive steps taken to avoid recurrence of violence incidents in the communally sensitive areas of the State.
14. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) A. M. Sethna, Member, National Commission for Minorities visited Chennai (Tamil Nadu) on 16-17the July 2000 and had meetings with the Vice Chairman and Member Secretary of the State Minorities Commission, Regional Census Commissioner. After detailed deliberations following recommendations have been made.
(i) The State Government of Tamil Nadu should include Parsis in the list of the State Minority Communities.
(ii) Parsis and Kashmiri Pandits were listed as 'others' in the Census Form. These Communities should be counted separately.
15. The Commission visited Karnataka State on 10th and 11th January 2001 and had meetings with the State Chief Secretary, and other senior State Government Officials apart from the representative of the Minority Communities. During the visit the Commission made the following recommendations to the State Government.
(i) The individual cases of complaints referred by NCM to the State Government should be examined on priority and a report on the action should be sent to the Commission.
(ii) The State Government should ensure that references made by the NCM to the State authorities are attended to promptly. The should not only be acknowledged but comments / reports / action taken on such references should be sent to the Commission on a priority basis.
(iii) The State should immediately constitute the State Minorities Commission, to include representatives of all recognized National Minority Communities.
The birthday of Guru Nanak and Buddha Jayanti should be declared as State Holidays.
(iv) The State Government should take steps to re-survey Wakf Lands and initiate appropriate action to correct the revenue records, with a view to ensuring that non of the identified Wakf Properties / Land is registered as 'Sarkari' or 'Nazul' in the Revenue Records. Action should immediately be initiated in case of 26 Wakf Properties in Bijapur, after canceling the allotment of the Wakf Properties by Distirct Collector of Bijapur for purposes other than those identified in the Wakf.
(v) The State Government should appoint a nodal office in the State Secretariat to look after the matter relating to the Wakf Properties of the State. This has been recommended in view of the growing inability of the State Wakf Board to influence the State authorities to resolve their genuine difficulties.
(vi) The State Government should ensure adequate provisions for providing primary education to the Muslim minority of the State in their other tongue i.e. Urdu. In addition, an adequate number of Urdu Teachers in Kannada medium scools and Kannada teachers in Urdu medium schools be also appointed to obviate problems of students moving to a different medium in Class VII.
(vii) The condition of Urdu medium schools in the State should be improved both in terms of providing adequate trained staff and essential physical facilities. In case the community, due to its economic backwardness, is not in a position to maintain the State run primary schools, alternative avenues be explored by the State Government to provide adequate facilities to them. Some effective Supervisory arrangements should be evolved for Urdu medium schools to ensure improvement in the quality of education being provided in these schools.
(viii) The State Government may consider the establishment of a Directorate for Urdu Schools or devise some other mechanism to achieve this objective.
(ix) The Level of 4% reservation in professional colleges and in job for the Muslim minority should be adequately enhances in the wake of their continued economic and educational backwardness and to make it commensurate with their population in the State.
(x) The State Government authorities should ensure through the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) that the credit flow to minorities is increased by way of fixing adequate targets for each bank in the State and also accord priority to promoting community based micro credit institutions in the State.
(xi) The State Government should earmark land for the construction of Mosques, Churches, Graveyards in the new urban layouts prepared by Government / Local Bodies / Development Authorities. Provision of land for worship places and also for graveyards is kept in all new Development Areas.
16. A Parsi Member should be nominated in the State Legislative Assembly / Public Service Commission and State Minorities Finance & Development Corporation in Andhra Pradesh.
17. The Commission recommended to the Govt. of Maharashtra that :-
(i) It should review its policy concerning the eligibility criteria for the grant of permission for opening new Minority Educational Institutions or their up gradation.
(ii) It should be ensured that this criteria does not come in the rights of the Minorities available under Article 30 of the Constitution of India.
(iii) It should not deny permission to the minorities to establish their Institutions merely on the ground that the order such institutions already exist in the area.
(iv) A committee of renowned educationists from different Minorities communities may be constituted to sort out the problem of Minority Educational Institutions.
(v) The Govt. should not impose its surplus teachers from other colleges on the Minority Educational Institutions.
18. (i) Taking cognizance of some reports appeared in various news papers and representations received from various organizations regarding harassment to Muslim owners in Delhi by the Sub Divisional Magistrate doubting their Indian nationality the Commission took up the matter with the Union Ministry of Commerce to repeal the Custodian Enemy Property Act forthwith and all cases pending under it, in Delhi and elsewhere be wound up without taking any further action under its provisions. The Commission thus recommended the following :- (ii) The Custodian of Enemy Property should ensure that no property notified as Wakf Property under the relevant, statute is ever declared as Enemy Property. Action should be initiated to ensure that Wakf Property is kept outside the purview of the Enemy Property Act 1968. (iii) Properties declared as evacuee property during 1947, but later restored to the owners by the orders of a competent authority i.e. either Court or Custodian of Enemy Property do not fall under the purview of Enemy Property Act 1968. No verification needs to be doe in such cases by the CEP. Notices issued or the Government should immediately withdraw FIR lodged in such case. (iv) The guidelines regarding the preservation and management of Enemy Properties in India vested in the Custodian of Enemy Property of India issued by CEP has no legal basis and should, therefore, be immediately withdrawn. Instead, the Central Government should formulate rules for carrying out the purpose of the Act under Section 23 of the E P Act 1968.
(v) The Administration / CEP should not recover / demand any rent arrear of rent for a Property alleged to be an Enemy Property till such time as it is notified so under Section 12 of the Enemy Property Act 1968.
19. The State / Union Territory Governments who have not constituted the Minority Commissions in their respective States/ UTs should take necessary steps to constitute the same.
20. The Agra Nagar Nigam had closed the old slaughter house due to which the Quresh Biradari of Agra facing hardships. Commission recommended that an alternative site be provided to the displaced persons till the completion of new slaughter house so that their livelihood and the interest of the consumers do not suffer.
21. Representations were received from various minority communities, regarding non appointment of Government Counsels in different Courts from these communities. The Commissions recommended on 27.10.2000 to the Ministry of Law that the while appointing Government Counsels, efforts should be made to ensure that the Members of the minority communities are adequately represented.
22. The Commission vide letter dated 22.5.2000 recommended to the Ministry of External Affairs to post Muslim Officers and staff in the Haj Cell of the MEA
23. The Commission vide letter dated 22.5.2000 recommended to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to post Muslim Officers and staff in the Wakf Division and Minorities Cell of the Ministry.
24. The Commission after carefully considering the proposal for enactment of the Uttar Pradesh Regulation of Public Religious Building and Places Bill, 2000 recommended that the assent of the President may not be accorded to the Bill, as the same was not constitutionally valid.
25. The 15 additional posts were recommended by the Staff inspection Unit of the Ministry of Finance (Deptt. of Expenditure). These posts should be immediately sanctioned and suitable additional funds be placed at the disposal of the Commission.
26. Every State should have a Statutory State Minorities Commission on the pattern of NCM. All the five notified religious communities, viz. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis, should be given representation in the State Minorities Commissions. All the Chairpersons, Vice Chairpersons and Members of State Minorities Commission may be given the same status as in NCM as far as possible. The term of each State Minorities Commissions may be fixed at 3 years.
27. There should be an Investigating Agency attached with the NCM as well as the State Minorities Commissions as has been provided to the National Human Rights Commission for SCs/STs.
28. The Ministry of Home Affairs may be requested to send an advisory note to all the Departments of Government of India and the State Governments to give due attention to the recommendations made by the NCM as well as the State Minorities Commissions and implement their recommendations effectively. In case, it is not feasible to accept any recommendation suitable replies may be sent to the respective Commissions.
29. Due representation of Minority Communities in the police forces of the Union and State Governments may be given. Police officer from minority communities may be deployed in sensitive areas.
30. The differences between the majority and minority communities may be narrowed down by dialogue. In the process of dialogue, the religious leaders and intellectuals of all communities may be invited for short-listing the issues to remove the irritants. The religious leaders of all the communities may refrain from making provocative statements on sensitive issues. They may utilize the forum of NCM to resolve disputes on particular issues.
31. The Government of India may take special steps for helping minorities in the Minority Concentration Districts. So far only 44 districts have been earmarked as per the 1981 Census. After the release of the latest data on various religions by the census authorities, this figure is likely to increase. Special steps in the Minority Concentration Districts may be taken for implementation of the 15-Point Programme of Prime Minister.
32. The Government of India may raise the existing limit of loans being given to the minority communities and may also impress upon the State Governments to reactivate the Margin Money Scheme of National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation through RBI and nationalized banks.
33. Every State Minorities Commission may prepare a comprehensive report on minority' issues in their respective States so that a comprehensive policy on development of the minorities can evolve.
34. Kirpan being a religious mandate and sanctity for the Sikhs, Sikh passengers be allowed to carry 9" Kirpan in the domestic flights.
35. The Commission recommended that the Department of Culture should make suitable budged provisions in the budge for setting up a panorama in Delhi.
36. The Commission recommended that entry to the places of worship of all Minority Communities should be exempted from any entry fee.
37. The Commission recommended to the major recruiting agencies in the country like DOPT, UPSC, SSC. Banking Recruitment Board etc, that no examination should be fixed on occasions of festival of any Minority Community and recurrence of such things should be avoided by all concerned.
38 The Commission recommended to Union Ministry of HRD for making arrangements and issuing necessary directions for introducing in page software in School curriculum for Computer Education.
39. The Commission recommended that Afghan Nationals of Indian Origin who had to leave their country need to be dealt with in a more sympathetic manner and, if necessary, in relaxation of the provisions of the Foreigner's Act, all of them may be given amnesty as regard passports and other documents.
40. The Commission recommended that the Afghan Hindu Sikh Welfare Society, C-128, Greater Kailash - I, New Delhi may be considered as a representative organisation of Afghan refugees of Indian origin by the Ministry of Home Affairs. They may be authorized to authenticate the names of all refugees.
41. The Commission recommended to the State Govt. of Maharashtra / Govt. of India after Malegaon riots that :-
(i) The State Govt. should immediately announce and pay a relief package to the riot victims which should include compensation to the next of the kin of those killed to the tune of Rs. 2.00 lakhs per death, payment for treatment of all those injured in police firing, compensation against loss of property and immediate rehabilitation of poor and small shopkeepers who lost their livelihood due to riots.
(ii) The State Govt. of Maharashtra should immediately announce a package of economic, social and administrative reforms, with a view to improving the economy and industrial development, upgrading the status of the Municipality to a Corporation which would help in the creation of better infrastructure.
(iii) Malegaon should be declared as an independent district and provided with civic and police and police officers of the required status.
(iv) The State Govt. should get all the religious places, mosques and temples repaired at State expense without any delay.
(v) The district administration should take an initiative to ensure that the persons living in villages surrounding Malegaon should quickly be given assistance for their rehabilitation.
(vi) The Government should take steps to restore the eroded confidence of the Muslim minority in the police. The proportion of Muslims minority in the police. The proportion of Muslims in the police is negligible and, therefore, it is advisable to post some officers / policemen belonging to the Muslim minority community in Malegaon. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure adequate recruitment of minority communities in the police in various ranks.
42. The Commissions' recommendations to the State Government of Gujarat / Government of India after Gujarat Riots :-
(i) Utmost importance be given to the restoration of confidence amongst the minorities, particularly Muslims, in the administrative machinery especially in the police force.
(ii) Expressing its unhappiness over the spate of transfers of officers who had taken action to protect the interest of the minorities, the Commission directed that these officers should be posted back.
(iii) Offices who had done excellent work in protecting the lives and properties of the minority community should be recognized / honoured and rewarded.
(iv) The amount of compensation to all those who had been killed should be restored to Rs. 1,00,000/- (One lakh) apart from the amount announced from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.
(v) The State Govt. should rebuild 293 dargahs and 202 mosques that were destroyed by the rioters.
(vi) The policy of political transfers that was being indulged in was contrary to the norms of good governance in a civil society that needs to be stopped immediately at this would further destroy confidence in the Government Machinery.
(vii) The Commission reiterated the need to bring both communities together through joint peace committees in the Mohallas, holding of meetings with religious leaders and other community leaders.
(viii) The officers belonging to minority communities should be given the so-called 'sensitive' assignments so that they can play a more useful role and also provide a healing touch.
The Commission recommended and reiterated that the Enquiry Commission appointed by the State Government by headed by a sitting Judge of Supreme Court.
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