Reservation In Focus After PM Panel's Findings On Minorities, Says Minister

Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said the ramifications of a new population study, which, among other things, found the Muslim community growing exponentially, have to be studied from various angles to determine its fallouts. The most crucial of these would be the question of reservation in jobs and education, especially in terms of other beneficiaries. "When one minority community grows, there is a question of how it affects other minority communities in terms of opportunities," the minister said.

"When one minority community grows so fast, so much faster than other minority communities, is there a risk that the other minority communities? Like Parsis and Jains and Buddhists and Sikhs and Christians are crowded out from the benefits and the schemes designed for minorities? From education, from jobs and opportunities?" the minister told NDTV in an exclusive interview.

Then there would be the question of other deserving communities, like Other Backward Classes, which have been denied the same benefits for decades, especially when seen in the context of the Congress "talking about going against the constitution and giving that same community more reservations," he said.

The data from the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister showed the Hindu population has decreased by 7.82 per cent between 1950 and 2015 in India. The population of Muslims has increased by 43.15 per cent in the same period, suggesting there is a conducive environment in the country to foster diversity, the panel has said.

The findings are in line with the situation in developed nations in Europe where the number of minorities have grown, mostly through migration and conversion. The majority communities have experienced a negative growth, especially in nations like France.

The minister said the reasons for India -- where illegal migration and conversion both happen -- have to be examined.

Coming in the middle of the general election, the paper has sparked controversy. The question of reservation has been mainstreamed into a huge election issue, with the Opposition alleging that if the BJP comes to power for a third term, they would scrap reservation.

Asked about allegations of "scare-mongering", Mr Chandrasekhar said timing is immaterial when it comes to facts.

"I particularly don't feel that when there is some truth that is put out there, data and facts that are put out there, whether it is during election, before election or after election facts remain the facts, the truth remains the truth. And there is no way of people trying to wriggle out of an uncomfortable truth and to find a more convenient truth," he told NDTV.

The paper said the population trend for Muslims is "particularly remarkable" given the wider context within the South Asian neighborhood, "where the share of the majority religious denomination has increased and minority populations have shrunk alarmingly across countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Afghanistan".

The paper said it is not surprising that minority populations from across the neighborhood come to India during times of duress.