On December 18, 1992, the United Nations adopted a significant declaration concerning the rights of individuals who belong to national or ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities. According to Article 1 of this declaration, it is the responsibility of each state to safeguard the existence and the national or ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic identity of minorities within their respective territories. Furthermore, states are also encouraged to create favourable conditions for the promotion of minority identities. Countries were strongly encouraged to establish their own legislation to address this matter. This event occurred during a period marked by the disintegration of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, as well as the Gulf Wars, which resulted in widespread conflicts worldwide.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (UNDM) is a non-binding declaration that remains the sole global instrument specifically addressing minority rights. However, legally binding provisions exist at the international level, such as Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 30 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Article 5 of the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education, which protects minority rights. India strictly follows all such laws and diligently works to protect its minority communities. In adherence to the UN declaration, India established the National Commission of Minorities in 1993, which recognises six communities—Muslims, Christians, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis—as minority communities in India.
Even prior to the establishment of such institutions, our nation has consistently upheld the rights of minority groups. We provided refuge to the Parsi community when they faced persecution in various regions of West Asia. Similarly, we embraced the Jewish community as our own during their torment in Europe. As the first colony to ensure the protection of minority rights upon gaining independence, we have always championed this cause.
Despite our strong commitment to minority rights, certain Western institutions unjustly attempt to undermine our credentials in this regard. The recent report by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) titled, ‘Share of Religious Minorities – A Cross-Country Analysis’ highlights the positive outcomes of our continued commitment to uplifting the minority community. However, this report also prompts us to think whether a sub-categorisation of minorities or a focus on marginalised minorities is necessary while designing government welfare schemes.
According to the EAC-PM report, the Muslim population’s share increased from 9.84 per cent in 1950 to 14.09 per cent in 2015, marking a 43.15 per cent increase. The Christian population’s share rose from 2.24 per cent to 2.36 per cent, a 5.38 per cent increase between 1950 and 2015. The Sikh population’s share also saw an increase from 1.24 per cent in 1950 to 1.85 per cent in 2015, a rise of 6.58 per cent. Additionally, the Buddhist population’s share witnessed a significant increase from 0.05 per cent in 1950 to 0.81 per cent.
However, the Jain population’s share in India decreased from 0.45 per cent in 1950 to 0.36 per cent in 2015. The Parsi population’s share in India experienced a drastic decline of 85 per cent, reducing from 0.03 per cent in 1950 to 0.004 per cent in 2015.
While the report highlights the rise in the population of almost all minority communities, a large portion of this increase is attributed to the Muslim community. In light of this, it is crucial for the State to allocate resources carefully to create a conducive atmosphere for people from other minority communities as well. In states like Kerala, there is already growing discontent within the Christian community, as the majority of welfare schemes designated for minority populations tend to benefit the Muslim community. Such an unequal distribution of welfare schemes and benefits may eventually lead to a rift that could impact the social harmony of our country.
While there is an increase in state funding for Islamic learning institutions in some states, other minority religions receive minimal support. Some states prioritise Arabic education, but the same attention is not given to Latin, Pali or even Sanskrit languages. Therefore, while opportunities should be provided for the development of minority communities as a whole, special emphasis should also be placed on addressing the needs of smaller minorities within these communities to maintain social balance. Thrust should also be given to the development of linguistic minorities alongside these religious minorities.
The second concern that needs to be addressed is the decline in the population of the majority community. According to the same report, the Hindu population in India decreased by 7.82 per cent between 1950 and 2015, going from 84.68 per cent to 78.06 per cent. This decline is worrisome for the majority community and raises questions about the concept of secularism as defined by our Constitution. Whether it is necessary to redefine the principles of secularism in our Constitution can only be determined over time. If the majority population continues to decline, it will have an impact on the structure of our population pyramid.
Historically, a decrease in the population of the majority religion has resulted in significant demographic changes and economic implications. Therefore, this statistical data is indeed a cause for concern. In a country with a high population growth rate, such a shift can lead to significant fiscal imbalances and social divisions.
The United Nations population projection for India suggests that in April 2023, we surpassed China as the most populous nation. However, we will only have a clear understanding of the exact figures once the next Census is conducted. At that time, India will also have a larger minority population, potentially exceeding the combined population of many countries. This will put pressure on the availability and utilisation of natural resources.
Consequently, it is necessary to reconsider how we define minority status, taking into account population growth and regional categorisation. Population growth necessitates a realignment of resources and a reassessment of our priorities to sustain our growth momentum. Only through such proactive measures can we genuinely champion the rights of minorities.
It may be worth considering implementing strict measures to address the challenges posed by population growth. Rigorous border controls and a robust immigration policy are needed to regulate entry from neighbouring countries, especially those which have a poor track record of protection of minorities. It is high time that we formally define and include linguistic minorities within the broader definition of minorities. Communities that have demonstrated consistent progress in terms of socio-economic indicators since independence could be taken out from the list, allowing for the inclusion of more marginalised groups. This would effectively broaden the scope of minorities in India.
However, achieving effective change will require not only policy-level adjustments but also sufficient legislative support. This will enable us to harness the potential of our demographic dividend as we strive to become the world’s third-largest economy.
Adarsh Kuniyillam is a parliamentary, policy and political analyst from Kerala. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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