Minority rights in the Indian Republic: from Constitution to Institutions | Malavika Menon

In the political climate currently enveloping the globe, rights the marginalised occupy an important place. Since the last decade of the 20th century, minority rights have been recognised internationally and celebrated. Despite the phenomenal shift of contemporary international politics that are marked by a certain hostility and suspicion towards ethnic minorities, migrants and immigrants, the rights and treatment towards minorities remains the index for measuring how democratic a nation is. The international recognition of minorities - national, ethnic, religious and linguistic, beholds the responsibility of the international community towards its commitment to protect minorities. Most states translate this commitment to minorities within their sovereign boundaries through institutions representing and addressing their concerns. Given this context, this article looks at the Indian state