Anglo-Indian community urges PM to ensure naming of LS

Seven months after the forming of the new Lok Sabha, the NDA government is yet to nominate two Anglo-Indian representatives to the Lok Sabha with members of the community having now written to the Prime Minister urging him to "take necessary steps" in the matter.
Concerned over the "inordinate delay" in the nomination of their representatives to Lok Sabha, the community today wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his "urgent intervention" in this regard.
They urged Modi to "take necessary steps to effect the nomination of the two Anglo-Indian members" to Lok Sabha as per Article 331 of the Constitution.

"More than seven months have passed since the elections to Lok Sabha and the Anglo-Indian community is anxious over the inordinate delay in nominating their representatives to Lok Sabha," Charles Dias, president of the Federation of Anglo- Indian Associations in India (FAIAI), said in the letter to Modi.
Dias, who was the Anglo-Indian representative in the Lower House during the previous UPA regime, said the community numbering about four lakh is scattered all over the country.
He said "they are thankful to the generous framers of the Constitution" for providing representation for them in Lok Sabha and few of the state Assemblies as per Articles 331 and 333 of the Constitution, respectively.

"Because of it (representation), this voiceless community with many disabilities could raise and redress several of their grievances," he said.

Dias told Modi that a sizable section of the community's members live in poor and pitiable conditions. "Housing and unemployment are a few of their major problems. So much so that the community is slowly losing its identity," he said.
FAIAI, which functions as an umbrella organisation for a majority of the Anglo-Indian associations in the country, has also presented a panel of names to the Prime Minister for consideration for nomination.
Dias also said FAIAI has complained to Modi that the Anglo -Indian representatives have been denied an opportunity to raise their problems in Lok Sabha.

"The MP-LADS fund allocation, representation in various parliamentary committees and other government bodies and local bodies, allocation of seats in Kendriya Vidyalayas and other facilities are denied to these members. This is injustice to a weak minority," he said.