Anglo-Indian demand desk in minority affairs ministry
By IANSSunday, January 24, 2010
NEW DELHI - The Anglo-Indian community has demanded a special desk in the minority affairs ministry to deal with matters concerning them.
“An Anglo-Indian desk or a nodal officer in the ministry of minority affairs may be designated so that the affairs concerning the Anglo-Indian community will receive special attention,” according to a memorandum submitted to Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid by the community leaders here last week.
Anglo-Indian member in Lok Sabha Charles Dias said the community has complained to the minister that “the Anglo-Indians do not find any mention in the Ranganathan Misra Commission Report on National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities”.
“We have requested that the Anglo-Indians be classified (in the report) as our community has been specially defined in Article 366 (2) of the Constitution and allocations of seats for the community may specifically be earmarked in the case of scholarships for higher education,” he said.
“Seats should also be reserved for Anglo-Indian students in national professional institutions where provisions for other communities exist,” he said.
