Hindus as minority in 8 states? Supreme Court to hear plea today

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court is all set to hear a plea seeking minority status for Hindus in eight Indian states – Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Punjab.

“According to 2011 Census, Hindus are minority in eight states i.e. Lakshadweep (2.5%), Mizoram (2.75%), Nagaland (8.75%), Meghalaya (11.53%), J&K (28.44%), Arunachal Pradesh (29%), Manipur (31.39%) and Punjab (38.40%)," the PIL states.

It also adds that the minority rights of Hindus in these states are being "siphoned off illegally and arbitrarily to the majority population because neither Central nor the state governments have notified Hindus as a ‘minority’ under Section 2(c) of National Commission for Minority Act. Therefore, Hindus are being deprived of their basic rights, guaranteed under Articles 25 to 30.”

The Public Interest Litigation or PIL, seeking legitimate benefits for Hindus, was filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and advocate Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay.

The plea presents the following figures:

• Muslims are majority in Lakshdweep (96.20%)
• Muslims are majority in Jammu and Kashmir (68.30%)
• Significant Muslim population in Assam (34.20%)
• Significant Muslim population in West Bengal (27.5%)
• Significant Muslim population in Kerala (26.60%)
• Significant Muslim population in Uttar Pradesh (19.30%)
• Significant Muslim population in Bihar (18%)

Based on the above figures, the plea states that Muslims enjoy ‘minority’ status in the above states.

“Christians are majority in Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland and there is significant population in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Kerala, Manipur, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, but they are treated as minority. Likewise, Sikhs are majority in Punjab and there is significant population in Delhi, Chandigarh and Haryana but they are also treated as minority,” he said.