Centre should reassess if Muslims, Christians in Kerala need minority status: PIL in HC

KOCHI: A PIL in the Kerala High Court on Thursday urged it to direct the Centre to reassess whether Muslims and Christians in Kerala should continue to be considered in the list of minority communities. A bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly, after hearing the arguments on behalf of the petitioner organisation -- Citizens Association for Democracy, Equality, Tranquility and Secularism(CADETS) -- said it will pass orders in the matter. CADETS, represented by advocates C Rajendran and K Vijayan, contended that the list of minorities in Kerala has to be re-determined and has sought a direction to the National Commission for Minorities to do the same.

The organisation has claimed thatthe Muslim and Christian communities in Kerala have progressed tremendously in the fields of socio-economics and education and therefore, their minority status requires to be re-determined and no preferential treatment should be given to them. It has also sought a direction to the Commission to evaluate the development progress of the two communities in Kerala.