Linguistic minorities should get equal opportunities: Mohandas Pai

Mangaluru: All government facilities being provided to religious minorities must be provided to linguistic minorities as well, urged Chairman of Manipal Global Education and former director of Infosys Technologies T V Mohandas Pai, addressing a press meet after a function organized at World Konkani Centre here for distribution of tenth year’s student scholarships on Sunday August 25.

Mr Pai pointed out that the rights of religious and linguistic minorities have been explained in articles No. 29 and 30 of Indian Constitution and yet, successive governments of extending facilities strictly to religious minorities since the last 70 years to the detriment of linguistic minorities, he alleged.

He noted that several communities including Hindus, Muslims and Christians speak Konkani, however,  a number of facilities are extended to Muslims and Christians on the basis of their status as religious minorities. Kharvis and Kudubis get facilities under another department, but only GSB community is devoid of any such facilities, he said and added that there are only 20 lakh people in GSB community.

He informed that a letter had earlier been written to the government, urging it to consider GSB as religious minority and extend different facilities to them. Since, there has not been any response, a letter would again be addressed to the government as a reminder, said Mr Pai.