Benefits to Minorities in Poverty Alleviation Programme with Particular Reference to Christian Communities

Benefits to Minorities in Poverty Alleviation Programme with Particular Reference to Christian Communities.

(Presented on 13/01/2014 at Annual Conference of State Minorities Commissions – 2014 at DRDO Conference Hall, New Delhi.)

Dr. Fr. Davis George

1. Christian Contribution in Nation Building

Christian community through their quality service, selflessly rendered in the fields of education, health and social upliftment has played a pivotal role in building the Nation.  The unique contribution made by Christians all over the country need to be acknowledged and highlighted and their expertise utilized by the Government.  Going beyond the barriers of caste, creed and nationality Christians have extended their service to those in the cities as well as in remote villages.  It is a perception in general among the Indian people that there is a greater amount of dedication and commitment among Christians, especially among their religious personnel. Could their involvement in public sector improve the sense of commitment among the other coworkers? Will this reduce corruption? Basic amenities and necessities have been provided by the Christian Churches all over the country believing in Jesus who came to serve and not to be served.  “I have come that you may have life and life in abundance.” (Jn 10:10)

2.  Review of some of the Prime Minister's new 15 point programme for the welfare of minorities in terms of specific interventions made for the upliftment of Christians.

1. Improving access to School Education: Even now it is difficult to get permission to start schools.

2. Scholarships for meritorious students from minority communities:  Yet to be availed by Christian students in most States.  As such many of the deserving Christian students do not get the benefits at par with SC /ST Students.

3. Improving educational Infrastructure through the Maulana Azad Education Foundation:   The general impression is that Moulana Azad Education Foundation is meant only for Muslims and so many don’t apply for any help other than Muslims.  There should be wide publicity given to the facilities promised in Maulana Azad Education Foundation.  Many Christian institutions are struggling to carry on with the work due to financial constraints and they should be assisted by the Maulana Azad Education Foundation. Many are taking huge bank loans and they are not able to pay back the same.  Government could give financial assistance to Christian professional colleges in terms of infrastructural developments.  It is a matter of great pride that Christian educational institutions are doing what the Government should be doing for the upliftment of the minority community which runs quality institutions not only for the students belonging to their community but also for all those who belong to other communities.   St. Aloysius Institute of Technology in Jabalpur is a Christian Engineering College catering to the professional empowerment of the Community and is in need of financial assistance for infrastructural developments.

4. Self-Employment and Wage-Employment for the poor

The Swarnjayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojna (SGSY), the primary self-employment programme for rural areas, need to be popularized and deserving Christian families to be identified and helped.

5. Upgradation of skill through technical training

A very large proportion of the population of minority communities is engaged in low-level technical work or earns its living as handicraftsman. Provision of technical training to such people would upgrade their skills and earning capability. Christian Community has not yet been beneficiaries of the same in a tangible way.

6. Recruitment to State and Central Services. This should be done in a transparent way.

7. Prevention of Communal Incidents: Continues even in places like Karnataka, Khandamal.

8. Prosecution for communal offences and rehabilitation of victims of communal riots: Not satisfactory yet, in affected areas.

3. The impact of Poverty alleviation programmes in India: Review

What we need to ask today is how it has facilitated an equitable share for minority communities in education, employment, economic activates in particular Christian communities.  The objectives of the programme are: (a) Enhancing opportunities for education; (b) Ensuring an equitable share for minorities in economic activities and employment through existing and new schemes, enhanced credit support for self-employment and recruitment to State and Central Government jobs; (c) Improving the conditions of living of minorities by ensuring an appropriate share for them in infrastructure development schemes; and (d) Prevention and control of communal disharmony and violence. 

I strongly recommend the following:

1. Christian community should be encouraged and given sufficient financial assistance to establish Professional Colleges. Similarly Christians should be encouraged to establish their own deemed to be Universities as they have expertise and skills to provide quality education. This would enable institutions to be free from the clutches of affiliating Universities and offices which causes undue delay and harassment. 100% grand- in- aid to be given to teaching and non-teaching staff of such schools and colleges both by the State Government and by the UGC. 

2.  Christians have done tremendous work in the fields of education, health services and social work for all sections of the society. Government need to do much more for this community to attain sustainable development.  Proportionate recognition or awards or membership in national bodies are not given to members belonging to Christian communities. 

3.  Christian minorities should be encouraged to build schools like Novodaya with full financial assistance from the Government. Also to have their own educational boards like the State Educational Board and CBSE.  Christian educational institutions have proven record of running quality institutions with no commercial motives as many others do.

4.  Evaluation to be made on the Benefits to Minorities in Poverty Alleviation programmes and made public so that we know the ground reality.

5.  Framing financial policy for institute grant/subsidy for getting grand in aid from the State for schools and from UGC for the colleges.

6.  Preference for sanctioning intake in various courses at UG and PG level.

7.  Exemption from AICTE and University affiliation fees.

8.  Implementation of policy for minority institute in admission quota for all states.

9.  Special grant for minority students and minority institutions of hostel (Lodging and Boarding), project, training, library etc.

10.  Helpline / redressal cell for Christian minorities to be established with time bound action plan.

4. Conclusion: Miles and miles to go before I go to sleep…

What we need is effective implementation of the poverty alleviation programmes and time to time evaluation of the same.  Even today the process to get any benefit is cumbersome and hence Christian minority keep away from applying for the grant.  We need to evolve minority friendly, Christian friendly, user friendly approach to build an inclusive society which alone will ensure sustainable development.  Christian community in general has often been the soft target of communal violence and lack of timely assistance in getting things done.  Even now for land diversion, electricity connection; starting of new institutions and infrastructural assistance Christian community is fighting a lone battle.  Numerically Christians are a small community and often financially very weak.  Hence they find it difficult to maintain the existing institutions, leave alone to start new ones.  Commercialization of education for the last 20 years both higher education and school education has created a lot of hurdles for the Christian minority institutions which need to be addressed at the earliest, so that they can maintain their quality of education as they used to do it in earlier days. May I conclude with the words of Swami Vivekananda?

 “So long as millions live in hunger and ignorance, I hold every person a traitor who, having been educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them.”