Advocate files PIL seeking minority status for Hindu, Niam Khasi

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 8, 2020

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Meghalaya High Court seeking declaration of Hindu and other indigenous religions as minorities in the state.

The PIL was filed by an advocate Delina Khongdup from Lyndem village in East Khasi Hills district.

The petitioner states that Hindus are merely 11.53% in the state of Meghalaya and other indigenous religions like Niam Khasi, Niam Tynrai and Songsarek, which has been enumerated in census report as other religions, consist of only 8.71%, whereas Christian which is at majority religion consist of 74.59% in the state.

She said that the people belonging to Christian which is the majority religion in the state of Meghalaya are getting the benefit of the minority religion, on the other hand, people belonging to actual minority religion like Hindu, Niam Khasi, NIam Tynrai, Songsarek etc in the state have been deprived of the benefit of any minority scheme and thereby contributing to loss of tax payers money with utmost certainty for failure of minority scheme for reason that the benefits of such minority scheme has been landing in the hands of majority in the state.

“…therefore requires interference by this Hon’ble Court for ensuring justice to the needy and poor who are at minority in the state,” she said.

The advocate has requested the Court to issue direction for defining ‘minority’ and frame guidelines for their identification at the state level.

“To declare the Hindus (11.53%) and other indigenous religions like Niam Khasi, Niam tynrai and Songsarek, which had been enumerated in census report of 2011 as other religions, consisting of only 8.71% to be as minority on state wise basis in terms of the NCM Act 1992 and in light of the decision of the constitutional bench of the Hon’ble Apex Court in the case of TMA Pai Case [(2002) 8 SCC 481],” the petitioner stated.