Unity of country, rights of ethnic groups protected through Federalism - Indian Professor

Mohammed Naalir

COLOMBO: India was established as a Federal state in 1951 by a High Court judgement which considered the diverse linguistic and ethnic groups in the country, Indian Professor of Hamdad University, New Delhi, Prof. Akthar Majeed said.

“There are 22 languages spoken in India which is home to hundreds of ethnic groups” Prof.Akthar said delivering a lecture at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute under the theme “Towards a peaceful Sri Lanka”. He said that not all aspects in the Indian Federal system may be suitable for Sri Lanka .”Some principles may be suitable while others not”.

He said a Federal system had proved the best remedy for diverse ethnic and linguistic societies. Through a Federal Government unity of the country and the rights of different ethnic groups are protected.India had caste rule at one time but it did not survive.

If you have unbridled autonomy it will lead to separation and break up of the country. Both systems are not good for the unity and smoother functioning of the state.There has to be some limit to these rules.Otherwise the country will disintegrate. Then the legitimacy of the country will be called into question”.

Ethnic diversity and linguistic diversity becomes a problem when there is discrimination. When there is perfection of discrimination that threats the national unity, the challenge is how to remove these imperfection to perfection, these are the problems faced by any plural society or diverse society.

India has seven geographical regions and sixty five economic regions.

Prof. Majeed said there was wide school of thought which holds that all civilisations have vanished barring the Indian civilisation , that binds India together the idea of Indianness which provides sustenance and credibility to India as a nation.

A certain feature of the Constitution cannot be changed or amended while certain other features can be changed by a simple majority or under certain circumstances. But the basic features cannot be amended.

Although India is a federal state established on the basis of linguistic or ethnicity in all its states there are minority ethnic groups or linguistic groups which enjoy fundamental rights under the federal system on the basis of their ethnicity.

Prof. Akthar Majeed noted that Education is a one of the best methods to overcome majoritarism.

He said minorities have rights to establish educational institutes in their national languages.

More jobs can be created under the Federal system which is the ideal system to address the problems of ethnic minorities. Constitutional Affairs and National Integration Minister D. E. W. Gunasekara observed that the ethnic conflict was continuing for more than 25 years.

Therefore, a sustainable solution must be found to the Tamil problem with or without the LTTE’s participation.Minister Gunasekara stressed that the public should agitate for both major parties to arrive at a consensus to find solution for the ethnic conflict.

The Minister further said proficiency in the second language too will be considered as a qualification for recruitment to Government jobs. An OL candidate is required to obtain more than 56 marks in the second language.