Congress leader and the newly appointed Chairman of the State Minorities Commission, Peter Alphonse, has made a strong case for assessing and scrutinising minority educational institutions to classify genuine institutions. In an interview, he said it had become fashionable for institutions run by individuals to use the ‘minority’ label to turn the rights of the minorities to their advantage. Edited excerpts:
What role do you envisage for the State Minorities Commission when there are separate ministries for the welfare of the backward classes and minorities?
The Minorities Commission is a statutory entity established by a special statute to look after the socio-economic condition and cultural identities of religious and linguistic minorities. Religious minorities constitute 20% of the State’s population, and linguistic minorities another 20%. This is a substantial population, and our role is to act as a bridge between the government and the minorities. The commission is a goodwill ambassador of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to them. While the government has a lot of schemes, the minorities have special requests and needs. It is our job to see to it that these schemes reach the real beneficiaries and bring their demands and requests to the government’s attention. Apart from these tasks, we have the powers of a civil court and can summon officials when an individual or a community has a genuine grievance. We can visit the affected individual or areas and make inquiries and recommend redressal measures to the government.
When compared to the minorities elsewhere, do you agree that they are relatively free from discrimination in T.N.?
We are fortunate to live in Tamil Nadu, where we are not facing existential threats. The social justice system has ensured a comfortable life for the minorities. There is a vast difference between the AIADMK and the DMK when it comes to the approach towards the minorities. We will never trust the AIADMK government because of their stand on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The then Chief Minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, argued that the law won’t affect the minorities. The AIADMK and the BJP are the two parties that have not condemned the death of Jesuit priest Stan Swamy. I was told that when some leaders of the AIADMK pressed for a resolution condoling his death at a party meeting, it was rejected.
Are you planning to carry out a study of the minorities, on the lines of those done by the Backward Classes Commission?
There is a need to study the socio-economic condition of the minorities. We are clear about one thing: the majority should rule. We (minorities) have no intention to rule, but should be given the space to live as dignified citizens. There should be a proper understanding and cooperation between the minority and majority communities. The minorities should be given a legitimate space to contribute substantially to the development of the State.
What is the role of the Minorities Commission vis-à-vis minority educational institutions?
We have requested the Chief Minister to assess and classify genuine minority educational institutions. Of late, it has become fashionable for everyone to label their institutions as minority institutions to reap the benefits of minority rights. These rights are specially designed to help institutions serving the poor and downtrodden, and not those run by individuals. What actually happens today is that these individual institutions are using the ‘minority’ tag to exploit minority rights to their advantage. These so-called minority institutions should be studied and classified. Now, we have a separate department for minorities and a reconstituted Minorities Commission, thanks to the efforts of the Chief Minister. Our services can be used for the purpose.
Dalits who had converted to Christianity and Islam have been demanding their inclusion in the SC list. What is the commission going to do about it?
The DMK government is convinced that they should be given minority status. The Chief Minister has articulated the view on many platforms, and the DMK included the demand in its election manifesto. There is a Supreme Court order in favour of it, and the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission had also made its recommendation. Why should the benefits extended to Dalits who convert to Sikhism and Buddhism be denied to those who convert to Christianity and Islam? Equality before law demands their inclusion in the SC list.
Will it not amount to saying that conversion has not changed their status?
Yes. I fully agree. Even the Church people are divided based on their caste identity. As Periyar [E.V. Ramasamy] famously said, one can change one’s religion and not caste.
