Avoid use of word 'minority': SC

Defining the ultimate aim of a democracy like India, the Supreme Court has said the practice of listing religious groups as 'minority communities' should be discouraged and the list gradually be done away with as it promotes divisive tendencies to weaken the nation.

A three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice R C Lahoti, Justice D M Dharmadhikari and Justice P K Balasubramnyan reminded the Minorities Commissions set up by the Centre and state governments that the goal of the Constitution was to create social conditions where there was no need to shield or protect rights of minority or majority communities.

"The commissions, instead of encouraging claims from communities for being added to a list of notified minorities, should suggest ways to help create social conditions where the list is gradually reduced and done away with altogether," said Justice Dharmadhikari, writing for the Bench recently.

This ruling was given while disposing of a petition demanding minority status for the Jain community. The Bench accepted the Centre's stand that it was for the states to determine whether Jains were a minority community depending on their social condition in their respective states.

The court said if each minority group felt afraid of the other group, an atmosphere of mutual fear and distrust would be created posing serious threat to the integrity of the nation leading to sowing of seeds of multinationalism.