BANGALORE: The Karnataka State Minorities Commission has advised minorities to stop looking for financial help such as subsidies and margin money due from the Government and instead organise themselves into self-help groups, cooperatives and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to work collectively for their socio-economic betterment.

Document

The commission has come out with a document, "Minorities in Karnataka - Vision 2025", and made various suggestions for the development of minorities.

Commission Chairman K.S. Mohammed Masood, former Congress MLC, has said that the document has been prepared to suggest various measures for the development of minorities.

Still poor

Fifty-two per cent of minorities are living below the poverty line, according to a Socio-Economic and Educational survey conducted in 1994. Only marginal changes have taken place after the survey. Most of the minorities are still poor and cannot make use of the opportunities thrown up by the development process, according to the commission.

The vision document has been prepared by two members of the commission D.J. Balaraj, retired IAS officer and K. Nazeer Hussain.

Focus

The document has stressed the need for focus on education and human resource development.

The literacy level of minorities is 61 per cent as against the 67 per cent average for the State. The literacy level should reach cent per cent among all minorities by 2025, the vision document says.

To achieve 100 per cent enrolment in schools, it has favoured increased allocation for government schools, filling of vacant posts of teacher, and bringing all schools under the mid-day meal scheme.

It says English should be taught from first standard and Kannada as a language of higher standard for Urdu students to improve functionality when they get employment.

Scholarships

The commission has recommended for institution of scholarships, stipends and hostel facilities for students pursuing professional education or science education.

Religious institutions such as dhargas, Wakf Board, Department of Minorities and the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation should come forward to support their higher education.

It has proposed the formation of self-help groups supported and guided by minority non-governmental organisations at the taluk, district and State-levels. At the village-level, each minority community should have a village development society to work for the welfare of the community.

The society can also form self-help groups to undertake micro enterprises under the Swarna Jayanthi Rozgar Yojana or Stree Shakti programme of the Government.

In urban areas, it has favoured formation of an urban development society in each mohalla for the minority community.

Self-help groups

Such societies should form self-help groups among weaker sections and help them become self-employed by linking them with various government schemes.

For promoting communal harmony, the commission has suggested formation of peace committees comprising representatives from all communities under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary for Home Department at the State-level, the Deputy Commissioner at the district-level, and the tahasildar at the taluk-level.

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