This book has four parts. Part one explains the place of minorities in a democracy, examines the process of their formation at the global as well as national levels and looks at the response received by them at these forums. Parts two and three deal with basic rights of minorities enshrined in Articles 25 and 30 of the Indian Constitution, the detailed history of these articles, the debates in the Constituent assembly and other related documents. This book also deals with Christians as a minority and controverts the myth that they are the most forward community. It details the general constitutional rights as well as special rights of the minorities in India and focuses attention on the relationship between human rights of minorities. An essential reading for sociologists, political scientists, human rights activists and all others interested in the issues involved and the future of Indian polity.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR James Massey
The Rev. Dr Habil, James Massey is currently the General-Secretary/ Director of Dalit Solidarity Peoples in India, which is a national multi-faith movement. He is also the Hon. Director of the Centre for Dalit Studies, New Delhi. He also worked actively for inter-faith dialogue in the Indian context with special interest in Sikh religion. For his work in Sikh religion he was awarded Doctor of Philosophy by Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany, and again Post-Doctoral Academic Degree (Habilitation) in the field of Religious Studies by the same university. Dr. Massey is the translator of the Punjabi Bible and has authored and edited more than 20 books, which includes: Masihiata: Ika Paricaya (Punjabi, 1976); Doctrine of the Ultimate Reality in Sikh Religion (1990); Towards Dalit Hermeneutics: Re-Reading the Text, the History and the Literature (1994); Dalits in India: Religion as a Source of Bondage or Liberation with Special Reference to Christians (1995); Roots of Dalit History, Christianity, Theology and Spirituality (1996); Down Trodden: The Struggle of India’s Dalits for Identity, Solidarity and Liberation, (1997); Current Challenges and Church Response (1998) and Dalits: Issues and Concerns (1998). His recent publications include Minorities in Democracy: The Indian Experience (1999), and Minorities and Religious Freedom in a Democracy (2003). He has also published a number of papers in academic books and journals.
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