SHILLONG: Major political parties, churches and tribal NGOs in Meghalaya have opposed the proposed 103rd Constitutional amendment and alleged that it would deprive religious minorities, including Christians, of their rights and privileges. The Congress, along with its regional allies - the United Democratic Party and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement - demanded that the UPA government reconsiders its decision before tabling the matter in the coming monsoon Parliament session. Union Tribal Affairs Minister P R Kyndiah met Union Minority Affairs Minister A R Antulay recently and asked for a national parameter to recognise minority communities in the country, official sources said. Kyndiah alleged the present minority communities would suffer if the proposed amendment was carried out. The proposed amendment sought to accord state-wise minority status to communities, instead of having a national parameter for the same. Minorities in states will be decided through a presidential notification in consultation with the state governments.
Urging Parliamentarians, minority communities and church organisations to oppose the move of the proposed 103rd Constitutional amendment, the Presbyterian Church of India (PCI) alleged that the proposed amendment would disintegrate religious minorities in India. ''The new law will deny them any legal and Constitutional safeguards, including privileges, in secular and multi-religious India even if Christians are majority in Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and significant presence in Manipur and Kerala, '' PCI Administrative Secretary Rev S S Majaw said. ''If such a move becomes law, it will definitely affect the aspirations and hopes of Christians, '' Rev Majaw added. Likewise, various NGOs and students' bodies opposed the Constitutional amendment. The Khasi Women and Development Association (KWDA) alleged that the proposed amendment was against the spirit of the Constitution as Khasi-Jaintia and Garo communities, comprising both Christians and non-Christians (mostly indigenous faith), were minority tribal communities. ''We hope the 103rd amendment does not divide the state's tribals in the name of religion. Meghalaya's tribals are microscopic minority communities and to brand them as majority is against the Constitution, '' KWDA sources said.
Church leaders of different denominations in predominantly Christian states - Mizoram and Nagaland - had already started their consultation to oppose the proposed Constitutional amendment. The Mizo National Front government in Mizoram abstained from participating in the just-concluded Presidential polls because of the proposed amendment. They alleged that the UPA government wanted to take away minority status from Christians. The National Commission for Minority Education said the amendment would make Christian students from Meghalaya and Mizoram ineligible for admission in Christian colleges like St Stephens as they would not have domicile minority status. Similarly, Sikhs from Punjab and Muslims from Jammu and Kashmir would not have minority status. Besides, Christian-run institutions in Kerala might lose their minority tag. Recently, BJP national president Rajnath Singh had declared that his party would strongly oppose the proposed amendment Bill to be brought by the UPA government both inside and outside Parliament.
