Dimapur, July 6 (EMN): All Indian Congress Committee, Minority Department’s Observer for Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram Rejaul Karim Laskar has stated that the minorities of North East India, especially Christians and Muslims, have reasons to be concerned over NDA Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind’s remark published on March 26, 2010 in national media that “Islam and Christianity are alien to the Nation”. In a press note, he said ‘almost all major newspapers of India have published a report that the NDA Presidential candidate Kovind had said in a press conference at the headquarters of BJP on 26 March 2010, when he was a Spokesperson of the BJP.
The Ranganath Mishra commission in 2009 had recommended 10 per cent reservation for Muslims and 5 per cent for other minorities in government jobs. The commission also favoured Schedule Caste (ST) status for Dalits in all religions. While addressing a press conference in March 2010 he had said, “Islam and Christianity are alien” to India and, therefore, the Bharatiya Janata Party feels people from the minority groups, even if their socio-economic condition is low, should not be given the privilege of quota in jobs, legislative bodies and education. The National Commission on Religious and Linguistic Minorities, headed by Justice Ranganath Misra, former chief justice of India, has in its report also recommended inclusion of Muslim and Christian converts as Scheduled Castes and given a quota to that category. “No, that is not possible,” said Kovind. “Including Muslims and Christians in the Scheduled Castes category will be unconstitutional.” When he was asked how Sikh Dalits were enjoying the quota privilege in the same category, Kovind said, “Islam and Christianity are alien to the nation.” He said that “it is very well known” that convert Dalit Christians and Muslims get better education in convent schools.
Laskar state that the minorities of North East, especially Christians and Muslims, have reason to worry that a person who considers them alien is now contesting for the Office of the President of India and is backed by the ruling coalition at the centre. Laskar has asked Kovind whether he still stands by his statement that Islam and Christianity are alien to the Nation?.
