• Hindus should have equal human rights as other Indians. This article gives examples of discrimination against Hindus. Will the Congress or BJP correct?

The BJP Manifesto is important because two key promises of 2019 i.e. scrapping (modification) of Article 370 and construction of Ram Mandir were fulfilled before 2024 polls. The BJP has promised to introduce a Uniform Civil Code.

Many were looking forward to the 2024 BJP Manifesto to know if the party would promise to give Hindus Equal Human Rights.

What do equal human rights for Hindus imply? The Law, in many cases, discriminates against Hindus. This article gives e.gs. of such discrimination.  

1. Government control of Hindu Temples. It does not control temples, churches.  

States like Tamil Nadu have their own laws and do not want Hindus to manage their temples.

The BJP can amend Central laws that allow state governments to control Hindu temples. BJP can start handing over temple management to Hindus in states where it is in power and create a template of a regulatory/management framework.

Read   Indian government cannot be any different from British if Hindus cannot even manage their own temples

Hindus want right to manage their places of worship. 

2. In southern India states temple collections become part of the state government treasury. This is not the case for mosques and churches.

Like other communities donations to Hindu temples should be used by temple authorities for the benefit of sustaining and promoting Indic culture, traditions and people. 

3. Only Hindu educational institutions are by law, made to reserve 25% of the seats under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. 

Why is the responsibility of educating children from economically weaker sections of society placed on the majority community alone?

Can the RTE provision on reservations be made applicable to all schools?

Kalbelia dance by Bulgarian Muslim, Jaisalmer 2013. 

4. The government funds religious education in Madrassas.

“That is, Muslim theological education is accepted by the University Grants Commission. While, Hindu theology departments are debarred by the UGC. There are Masters program in Christian Studies at the University of Madras. No such programmes are there for Hindu Studies. This is distinct from theological studies.”

The governments, Centre and State, should stop funding religious education.

5. Scheduled Tribe (ST) who convert continue to remain ST’s for the purpose of government benefits and reservations even post conversion.  

Converts need to decide, are they ST or Muslims/Christians! They cannot be both. Abrahamic religions do not recognise the very concept of tribes or any other differences --- they claim to be monolithic as being a consequence of being monotheistic.

Read    Are ST Converts ST under the UCC + Who are Scheduled Tribes

6. Tax Laws should the same for all citizens

Tax laws should be same for Indian citizens; religion, caste or tribe should not be basis for providing benefits. Benefits, if any, should be given on the basis of backwardness measured by income and education deficiency. Read examples.

A 2019 Madras High Court judgment, stayed by the Supreme Court, ruled that salaries received by missionaries and nuns of catholic church for teaching services are liable to be subjected to Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) under Section 192 of the Income Tax Act 1961. So also in Manipur, the Meitie community (Hindus) are liable to pay income-tax, whilst Scheduled Tribes are not. Similarly, tax breaks allowed to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs under Hindu Undivided Family must go.

Read   Tax Laws should be same for all CITIZENS

Former U.S. President Obama takes oath with one hand on the Holy Bible.  

The Waqf Board is subject to a different law and receives grants from the government but Hindu religious affairs are controlled by the government. Waqf property is dedicated to The Almighty in supposedly a Constitution driven state? Only Muslims are by law allowed to become CEO’s of the State Waqf Boards. These boards receive grants from the government. Such Boards can fund religious education. 

Read   FAQ on Waqf Board

8. The Government of India provides Scholarships to Minorities (primarily Muslims not Hindus). Read on for details.  

Academic Year 2021-22 Pre-Matric Rs 1,329 crores.(1129 cr), Post-Matric Rs    469 crores.( 501 cr) and Professional Courses Rs 353 crores (381 cr). Figures in brackets are for year 2014-15. Total scholarship in year 2021-22 Rs 2,151 crores and 2014-15 Rs 2,011 crs.

Government scholarships should be provided to all deserving students.

9. Applicability of Right to Education Act

This author and co-author Hariprasad Nellitheertha wrote in Swarajyamag -

a. Minority institutions need not reserve 25% of the seats under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. Conversely Hindu schools have to under RTE, reserve 25% of their seats to be allocated by the government.

b. There is a huge disparity on the procedure to be adopted with respect to selection of students. Section 13 of The RTE Act says:

“No capitation fee and screening procedure for admission: (1) No school or person shall, while admitting a child, collect any capitation fee and subject the child or his or her parents or guardian to any screening procedure.”

Read    How Hindu Rights Have Been Seriously Damaged by Article 30 and RTE Act

10. The Bill for reservation of 27 per cent seats for the OBC is not applicable to institutions of higher education run by minorities.

There is more on this, not sharing for the sake of brevity.

11. What is printed on the packaging material of a product can only be government approved.

According to the MINT article, “The Indian government neither mandates halal certification, nor does it provide a unifying regulatory law. The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India’s (FSSAI) standard certification is the requirement for consumer edible products, according  to the United States Department of Agriculture.” Implementation!

A Central law should be passed that bans of certification of Halal products by private bodies. The exceptions could be processed meat and products meant for exports (latter currently allowed per Director General of Foreign Trade guidelines).

12. To declare Hindus as minorities in states like Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram. 

13. To bring Anti-Conversion Laws which are effective across India. 

For those worried that rectification of historic discriminations against Hindus will require the Constitution to be amended, they must note that the 1950 document has already been amended 100 plus times. Current laws make a mockery of Article 14 that is Right to Equality.

The government and people of India must remember that Bharat is the birthplace of dharma - Sanatan, Baudh, Jaina and Sikh and home of Eastern spirituality. For them India is where their Rishis, Munis and Gurus lived and their principal places of worship are. There is no other country they can call their own.

If laws do not give Hindus equal human rights and thus allow them to blossom Bharat could soon become like Pakistan.

Did you know that India is home to Shias, Sunnis and Ahmediyas with the last not being treated as Muslims in Pakistan?

It is therefore imperative for NDA3 to get a third term and provide equal human rights to Hindus.

If Indics wither away, the world will be a poorer place in more ways than one.

There is a reason why the founding fathers gave the Supreme Court this logo, Yata Dharmastato Jayah - Where there is righteousness and moral duty (dharma), there is victory (jayah).  

Also read

1. Rights of Minorities in India Thank You Barack Obama

2. What is the meaning of Secularism

3. FAQ Compares Indic faiths vs. Abrahamic Religions

4. FAQ Uniform Civil Code

5. What is Hindu Rashtra

6. Pictures in the Handcrafted Constitution of India

7. What is the problem in Punjab

8. How Indian is the Indian Constitution