The Government of India does not have any information about the definition of Hindu, the Union Home Ministry has replied to an RTI query filed by Neemuch resident Chandrashekhar Gaur.
After getting the inadequate reply from the Union Home Ministry, the RTI activist knocked the doors of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the Union Ministry of law to get a reply for his query, what is the definition of Hindu as per the law and how is it classified, but unfortunately his query was reverted back to the Home Ministry that has earlier expressed its inability to answer the query.
Gaur while talking to 'The Pioneer' over telephone from Neemuch said, "It is amazing to note that the Government of India does not have any idea about the definition of Hindu. The Home Ministry, PMO and the Union Ministry of law neither know what Hindu is nor are they able to inform that which department of the Government would be able to furnish this information."
In reply to the RTI query by Gaur, the Union Home Ministry had said it "does not have any information" regarding the definition of 'Hindu', the most widely practiced religion in the country. "To my query under RTI about the meaning and definition of the word Hindu in the light of the Indian Constitution and the law, the Home Ministry in its reply on July 31 said the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) doesn't have information regarding it," Gaur said.
Gaur had also sought to know on what grounds a community was considered Hindu, and why Hindus were considered to be a majority community.
The Government's reply was baffling, he said."If the Government doesn't know the meaning and definition of the word Hindu, on what basis did it enact the Hindu Marriage ActIJ" he questioned.
He said that when the Government doesn't know what a Hindu is then why there are columns of Hindu and Muslim in whatever forms or information sought by the Government for various reasons. It is a matter of concern and thinking that needs to be debated, he added.
