Grievances of minorities increase in India

(March 17, 2010) In India, the grievances of religious minorities to the government have increased this year, according to details that the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) presented in parliament. During the 11-month period from April 2009 to February 2010, the commission received 2,268 complaints, Minorities Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid told the house on Monday. That number was higher than the 2,250 complaints received during last financial year, April 2008 to March 2009, the minister said.
According to an official press release, the complaints related to issues of cultural rights, religion based harassment, religious property management matters, law and order, economic matters and compensation for the riots-affected persons. The government also allots millions of rupees to NGOs, to help provide free coaching that aims to improve the employment possibilities of religious minorities. Minister Khurshid said under the “Free coaching and Allied schemes”, the government sanctioned some 50 million rupees to the NGOs during 2007-2008. The amount was increased to 61 million in 2008-09, but in the current fiscal year the amount again came down to some 50 million.