NEW DELHI — The Congress-led government is taking steps to ensure equal opportunities for all sections of society including Muslims.
The government plans to set up equal opportunities commission (EOC) soon as part of its follow-up action on the Sachar Committee report that indicated discrimination against Muslims. The panel entrusted with setting up the commission is likely to submit its report on Feb. 28 before its term expires on Feb. 29.
The committee is ready with its recommendations concerning the establishment of the EOC and a draft copy of the “Equal Opportunities Bill” will be presented in Parliament, N.R.M. Menon, the committee chairman said.
Though the EOC would be set up on the lines of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), it would base its cases on “hard evidence,” Menon said. It will handle cases relating to all sectors, including education, employment and policy-making, he said.
It would, however, not be possible for individuals to approach the EOC. Clarifying this, Menon said: “Individuals cannot approach the commission. Only groups can approach it.”
Chairperson of the EOC will be selected in more or less the same manner as that of the NHRC, with the prime minister heading the selection committee and the leader of the opposition being a member, Menon said. The chairperson can be a judge or a social scientist, he said.
In another development, the NHRC has sent a notice to the Maharashtra chief secretary following a newspaper report that said a person who fled Nashik with his family was beaten up by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers. The report, published in an Indian daily, alleged that a large number of people of Bihari origin, working in Maharashtra, had fled due to terror and violence by MNS activists. Sanjiv Singh, who fled Nashik with his family, had alleged that he and his family members were attacked and women molested by MNS workers. These people were threatened by MNS workers to leave Maharashtra or face consequences, according to the report. Another person, Rehman Bhai, made similar allegations against MNS activists. Both Singh and Rehman alleged that the state government did nothing against MNS activists.
Regarding this as a serious human rights violation, the NHRC has asked the Maharashtra chief secretary to submit a report within four weeks and has also sought clarification from the state government. The commission views the beating of migrants as a major human rights violation.
