08.02.2025..Untouchablity News.....अछूत समाचार.தீண்டாமை செய்திகள்.by Team சிவாஜி. शिवाजी .Shivaji.asivaji1962@gmail.com.9444917060.asivaji1961@gmail.com.facebook.sivajiyogatiruvannamalai.X.ShivajiA479023.
8bHow to live without fear and worry ?
Backward classes and Dalits ‘will unite to oust the BJP from power’ in 2027: Akhilesh
The BJP is preventing PDA (Pichre, Dalit and Alpashankhak) people from holding positions like circle officer and station officer, says the Samajwadi Party chief
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav Friday accused the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh of targeting the Dalits and tribals while asserting that the PDA communities (Backward Classes, Dalits, and minorities) will oust the BJP from power in the 2027 Assembly polls.
Speaking to reporters in Noida, he claimed that the BJP was misusing power to suppress voters, snatching away the rights granted by the Constitution framed by Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar.
“The BJP is preventing PDA (Pichre, Dalit and Alpashankhak) people from holding positions like CO (Circle Officer) and SO (Station Officer). In the 2027 assembly elections, the PDA will unite to oust the BJP from power,” Yadav declared.
He also accused the BJP of manipulating elections, citing the Milkipur by-election where he claimed that votes were cast in the name of deceased and fraudlent voting took place. He called for an probe by the Election Commission, accusing it of failing to act on complaints.
Yadav further criticized the BJP’s claims on economic reforms and advancements, saying the government’s failure to provide job opportunities was pushing citizens to leave the country illegally.
He also condemned the “inhumane treatment” of Indian deportees by the US and the government’s silence on the issue.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
Courtesy : The Telegraph
The havoc of the bullies in Kaimur, encroached the crematorium, stopped Dalits from performing the last rites
Kaimur News: A case of taking out and selling soil from the cremation ground has come to light in Patti village of Kaimur. Dalits allege that the land has been occupied and wheat has been sown there. Accusing the police of complicity, the Dalits have appealed to the District Magistrate for justice.
Edited by Ashutosh Kumar Pandey | Reported by Pramod Kumar
- Dalits appealed to the District Magistrate
- Bullies occupy the cremation ground
- Bullies are preventing the last rites
Kaimur: A case of encroachment and harassment on the cremation ground has come to light in Patti village of the district. Many Dalit families including Binda Musahar have appealed to DM Saavan Kumar for justice. It is alleged that a person named Harinarayan Tiwari occupied the cremation ground and sold the soil and started farming. Even pressure is being exerted to bury the bodies found during the excavation at another place.
False case registered
The Dalit families also allege that a false case has been registered against them in connivance with the Kudra police station in-charge. Binda Musahar, a resident of Patti village, said that 137 decimal land in the village is for cremation. People have been performing last rites here for years. On 24 January 2025, Binda Musahar’s wife Lakhaniya Devi died, who was buried in this cremation ground. He alleged that Harinarayan Tiwari has occupied this land. He is digging and selling the soil and is also cultivating wheat.
Binda Musahar’s allegation
Binda Musahar further said that the Anchal Adhikari had given an order in the Janta Darbar on 25 January 2025 for the measurement of the land. Despite this, the Kudra police station in-charge registered a false case against Shiv Bachchan Musahar, Lalan Musahar, Ram Ashish Musahar and Binda Musahar. He also alleged that Harinarayan Tiwari and Sub Inspector of Police Raj Kumar Mishra are pressuring him to bury the bodies found during the excavation somewhere else. He is also being threatened with arrest.
Occupation of land
Binda has said that there is 137 decimal Sarva Sadharan cremation ground in Patti village where people always used to cremate and bury the dead bodies, during this time my wife Lakhaniya Devi died on 24-1-2025 after which her body was buried in the cremation ground, while Hari Narayan Tiwari of the same village has occupied that land, and the soil is being excavated from there and sold, and wheat has also been sown.
Appeal to the District Magistrate
People of the Musahar community approached the DM against this injustice. They have demanded investigation of the matter, measurement of land and action against the culprits. Many women and villagers were also present during this time. This matter points towards social discrimination and administrative negligence. It remains to be seen what action the administration takes in this case. Will the victim families get justice? Will the culprits be punished? These questions still remain.
About the author
Ashutosh Kumar Pandey
Active in print, digital and electronic journalism for more than 16 years. Degree in Political Science and Journalism. Started writing in Jansatta, Hindustan and Dainik Jagran in 2003. Worked in ETV, Maurya TV, Focus TV, Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Prabhat Khabar.com and Network 18. Reporting and desk work in four Lok Sabha elections and many assembly elections. Interested in politics, history, literature, music, theatre and folk culture.
Courtesy: Hindi News
Cop held for sexual abuse of Dalit woman
Hyderabad: A constable with Medchal police station was arrested for sexually abusing a woman belonging to scheduled caste (SC) under the false promise of marriage.
The accused’s wife and his friend have been booked under the Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Medchal police said the complainant stated that the crime took place last year and that she was subsequently threatened by the constable, his wife and a friend with dire consequences if she lodged a complaint against the constable.
According to the survivor, in March 2024, when she came to the Medchal police station to discuss her problem with the circle inspector, she met the constable.
Later, on the pretext of helping her to contact a lawyer, he befriended her. After making her believe that she was going to meet a lawyer, he allegedly took her to a room and proposed to her, claiming that he was unmarried. He then allegedly abused her on several occasions.
A few months later, she discovered that the constable was already married. When the survivor confronted the constable for cheating on her, his wife intervened and allegedly threatened her with dire consequences. The constable had been involved in a criminal case in the past.
Hyderabad: A constable with Medchal police station was arrested for sexually abusing a woman belonging to scheduled caste (SC) under the false promise of marriage.
The accused’s wife and his friend have been booked under the Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Medchal police said the complainant stated that the crime took place last year and that she was subsequently threatened by the constable, his wife and a friend with dire consequences if she lodged a complaint against the constable.
According to the survivor, in March 2024, when she came to the Medchal police station to discuss her problem with the circle inspector, she met the constable.
Later, on the pretext of helping her to contact a lawyer, he befriended her. After making her believe that she was going to meet a lawyer, he allegedly took her to a room and proposed to her, claiming that he was unmarried. He then allegedly abused her on several occasions.
A few months later, she discovered that the constable was already married. When the survivor confronted the constable for cheating on her, his wife intervened and allegedly threatened her with dire consequences. The constable had been involved in a criminal case in the past.
Courtesy : TOI
DELHI Election NEWS POLITICS STATE
Delhi Assembly Election Result: Whose possession will be held on Dalit seats? Know here the mathematics of all such seats
There is now a few times left in the counting of votes for Delhi Assembly Elections. All 70 seats were voted on the 5th. In this election, a triangular contest is being seen between Aam Aadmi Party, Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. Everyone is eyeing these elections. Everyone is eager to know the result.
All eyes are on 12 Dalit -dominated seats of Delhi. 12 seats in the state are reserved for Scheduled Castes, while 20 seats are dominated by them. The Dalit vote of Delhi plays a big role in forming the government and this is the reason that all three parties have opened a box of promises to bring them into their court.
Dalit votes have considerable influence on the seats of Bawana, Sultan Pur Majra, Mangolpuri, Karol Bagh, Patel Nag, Madipur, Deoli, Ambedkar Nagar, Trilokpuri, Kondli, Seemapuri, Gokalpur.
Courtesy : Connexionblog
Lucknow News: A youth from another community molested a Dalit girl
Tulsipur (Shravasti). On Thursday, a youth selling biryani near the school gate caught a Dalit girl who had gone to the toilet during the mid-day break in the school and tried to rape her. The teacher who arrived after hearing her screams, made them reconcile to suppress the matter. On Friday, on the complaint of the girl’s mother, Malhipur police registered a case of molestation and started investigation.
Questions on the role of the in-charge teacher and Shiksha Mitra
When the in-charge teacher of the school, Rafat Jahan, came to know about it, she made a video of herself viral on social media. In which the teacher told that the incident took place outside the school. Whereas she told that the girl did not come to school and was absent. She also told that she came to know about it from the children. After this, the family members and the elite were called and the girl was handed over to her family. The statement of the in-charge teacher and the working style of the Shiksha Mitra have also raised questions on the system.
If there is something like this, then it will be investigated on Saturday and action will be taken against the culprits. – Ajay Kumar Gupta, BSA
Courtesy : Hindi News
Man booked for firing gunshot amid dalit altercation with police over sewerage in Bathinda village
Bathinda: Two days after a man reportedly fired a gunshot when dalits were arguing over sewerage in a village here, a case was registered against him Friday.
The accused has been identified as Harwinder Singh from Chandbhan village in Faridkot.
The incident took place Wednesday when some dalits became involved in an altercation over proper sewerage for their families in the village, leading to a confrontation with police.
However, members of the dalit families, including Punjab Kher Mazdoor Union general secretary Lachman Sewewala, said a case was registered on the complaint of a policeman, Iqbal Singh. They said he relied on a viral video instead of acting on the ground.
Harwinder Singh has been booked under BNS Sec 125 (reckless or negligent actions that endanger the safety of others or human life) and the Arms Act.
Courtesy : TOI
Union Budget: Attack on Dalit Economic Empowerment
While presenting the Union Budget 2025-26, Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman began her speech with the famous quote of Telugu poet and playwright Gurajada Appa Rao, ‘A country is not just its soil, a country is its people’. She focused on the poor, youth, farmers and women in the budget goals. She announced that her budget is to achieve zero poverty in the country, 100 percent good quality school education, quality affordable and comprehensive health care, meaningful employment for 100 percent skilled workers, 70 percent women’s participation in economic activities, prosperous farmers, etc. In this light, if we observe the budget allocation for the welfare of Scheduled Castes declared in the budget draft 10A, it will appear far from the declared goal.
By Dinkar Kapoor
According to the 2011 census, 16.6 percent of the Scheduled Caste population lives in the country, the majority of which is poor. For a long time, the forces fighting for the rights of this community have been demanding allocation of Scheduled Caste welfare budget in accordance with their population. But this has been completely ignored in this budget as well and only 3.4 percent of the budget has been allocated for them. In this too, most of the money has been given to corporate houses.
The matter of making special provision in the budget for the education of Scheduled Castes was put forward in the Poona Pact itself, in clause 9 of which it was assured that special provision would be made in the budget for the education of Scheduled Castes which were considered minority as described in the Government of India Scheduled Caste Order 1936 issued under the Government of India Act 1935. In the book ‘States and Minorities’ written by Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, in which his views were presented in the Constituent Assembly on behalf of the All India Scheduled Castes Federation, he has said that it is the responsibility of the state to remove social, political and economic inequality by providing better opportunities to the deprived sections. In its Article 2, he talks about the share in the budget for the Scheduled Castes and in its Section 3, Clause 4, he talks about spending money for any purpose related to the Government of India. He cites that this provision was made in Section 10 of the Government of India Act 1935. He also mentions special responsibility for the Scheduled Castes and considers education to be the responsibility of the state.
But after independence, this dream of Dr. Ambedkar could not be fulfilled. In the fifth five-year plan in 1974-75, it was accepted as Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes Sub Plan. In 2017, the Modi government changed its name to Scheduled Caste Welfare Item. In this sub plan or welfare scheme, the goal was declared to promote the income and employment of the Scheduled Castes for their social empowerment, educational development and economic empowerment. It was clearly stated that the money will be spent on their income increasing schemes, skill development and infrastructure development. It was even said that it is mandatory to spend 10 percent of the sub plan budget on skill development. If we look at the budget for 2025-26, a budget of Rs 1,68,478.38 crore has been allocated for the Scheduled Castes, which is slightly more than the Rs 1,65,500.05 crore allocated last time and if 5 percent inflation is taken into account, then it has been reduced in a way. It is also worth noting that out of the allocated amount in the last financial year, only Rs 1,38,362.52 crores has been spent.
The Modi government is very adept at making new announcements. Before this budget, the Prime Minister himself was announcing to make India a big market of skilled workers and supply skilled workers abroad. But if we see, the condition of the SC sub-plan budget of the major institutes of skill development is bad. In the SC budget of a renowned institutes like IIT, the amount of Rs 631.60 crore allocated last year has been increased by Rs 50 crore only. The amount given to IIT Hyderabad, which was spent as Rs 48.54 crore in 2023-24, has been reduced to zero this time. The Rs 20.63 crore allocated to a premier institute like the Indian Institute of Management in 2023-24 has been reduced to Rs 15.44 crore this time. The Rs 103.79 crore allocated to the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research last year has been reduced to Rs 94.73 crore. The budget of the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration has been reduced from Rs 18 crore to Rs 9 crore. The budget of the National Institute of Technology has been reduced from Rs 456.45 crore allocated last year to Rs 398.12. Today, there is talk of the era of AI. The Government of India has reduced the Rs 42 crore allocated last year to the Centres of Artificial Intelligence for SC to Rs 32.94 crore. Rs 15 crore has been cut in the budget of Skill India program and only Rs 384.69 crore has been spent last year. This time Rs 853.68 crore has been allocated for skill development and entrepreneurship. The truth is that out of Rs 612.65 crore last time, only Rs 477.94 crore has been spent.
There has been a slight increase in the budget of Rs 18,436.16 crore allocated for the education of Scheduled Castes last time, this time Rs 19,653.99 crore has been allocated. Which is very less in proportion to their population. Similarly, Rs 10,094.17 crore has been allocated in the health budget, which is slightly more than the Rs 9,158.5 crore allocated last year. Here it must be kept in mind that out of the money allocated last year, the government was able to spend Rs 8927.18 crore only. For health infrastructure, the government had spent Rs 1,933.47 crore in the financial year 2023-24, whereas this year only Rs 1,521.88 crore has been allocated.
The government has considered agriculture as the first growth engine of the country in the budget. A huge cut of about Rs 1,000 crore has been made in the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the main item of expenditure in agriculture for Scheduled Castes. There has been a cut of Rs 300 crore in Krishi Unnati Yojana, Rs 2 crore in Natural Resource Management, Rs 4 crore in Krishi Vigyan Kendra and Rs 40 crore in Urea subsidy. The government has considered the MSME sector as the second growth engine. Rs 3,838.51 crore has been allocated in its budget for SC, which is slightly more than the last allocated budget of Rs 3,630.30 crore and the actual expenditure in 2023-24 is around Rs 3,737.95 crore. Rs 150 crore has been cut in the budget allocated for counter guarantee of MSME. The PM Vishwakarma Yojana, which was run with great fanfare, in which there was talk of making workers skilled and giving loans, has been cut by about Rs 150 crore. In the major employment providing scheme MNREGA, this time only Rs 11976 crore has been allocated for Scheduled Castes as compared to the actual expenditure of Rs 12,712.249 crore in 2023-24. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, about which a lot is talked about, has been allocated only Rs 11,911 crore by reducing the allocation from Rs 12,946.33 crore last year. The watershed program of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana has been cut by Rs 50 crore.
The budget of the clean water and toilet construction for the respectable life of the Scheduled Castes has also been cut by Rs 6,600 crore. There is no increase in the budget of the Labor Welfare Scheme. The Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana, which gives pension to unorganized workers, in which the government will deposit an amount equal to the worker’s contribution in the bank, has been cut by Rs 5 crore and only Rs 25 crore has been allocated. The budget of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana has been made zero this time, whereas the actual expenditure on it in 2023-24 was Rs 209 crore. Rs 3,340 crore has been allocated on the scheme to create new employment. Last time, Rs 1,660 crore was allocated for this scheme, out of which only Rs 1,140 crore was spent. This time Rs 4,317.85 crore has been allocated for housing and dignified life in urban areas, which is very little more than the amount of Rs 4,283.26 allocated last year. It should also be noted that out of the last allocated amount, only Rs 1,959.40 crore could be spent. Not even a rupee has been increased in the old age and widow pension for the Scheduled Castes.
The Ujjwala scheme, which was started by the Modi government in its initial phase, that is, the scheme of giving free LPG gas connections to the poor, has died in this budget. Zero budget has been allocated for the LPG connections given to the poor families of the Scheduled Castes and the budget for LPG direct benefit has also been made zero. On the other hand, if we see, the sub-plan money has been spent on many such items for corporate houses which have no relation with the Scheduled Castes. For corporate profits, the new and renewable energy item has been increased by Rs 900 crore, the power sector has been increased by Rs 1500 crore, the PM Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme has been increased by Rs 730 crore. The budget for making semiconductors for computers, which has no relation with the development of scheduled castes, has been increased by Rs 260 crore. The budget for IT hardware linked incentives has been increased by Rs 300 crore. The budget of Electronics and Information Technology, which is dominated by Ambani, has been increased by Rs 700 crore.
Overall, this budget is an attack on the economic and social empowerment of Scheduled Castes by the Modi government. A new mobilization has started in the entire Uttar Pradesh through Dalit Ekta Manch to increase the budget in all plans for education, health, employment, skill development, economic and social empowerment of Dalits, which will create a new awakening of Dalits in the coming times.
Dinkar Kapoor, State General Secretary, All India People’s Front, Uttar Pradesh.
(Translation from original Hindi to English, SR Darapuri, National President, All India Peoples Front)
Courtesy : Counter Currents.
Opinion: SC sub-classification verdict and the dangers of conflating class and caste
The suggestion has its roots in the August 2024 Supreme Court judgement allowing sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SCs). Four of the seven judges on the Constitution Bench that decided the case said in their judgements that the ‘creamy layer principle’ should apply to SCs, with different criteria than OBCs.
Although the then Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud remained silent on the creamy layer issue, the language used in his judgement, which often uses the term ‘class’ rather than ‘caste’, portends the possibility of changing the SC reservation category from a caste-based one to a class-based one, on the lines of Other Backward Classes.
The Presidential Order of 1950
Even after the August 2024 Supreme Court judgement allowing the sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SCs), the Union government and various state governments have issued several notifications for job recruitments – including the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) – only in accordance with the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order or the Presidential Order, which specifies the communities deemed to be SCs in various states and union territories.
As of now, these governments have not bothered to incorporate the directions of the sub-categorisation judgement, which allows a quota within quota for castes that are more marginalised among the groups within a reserved category.
But in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the verdict has heightened the conflict between Madigas and Malas, leading to confrontational caste mobilisations on a regular basis.
Based on the directions of the seven-judge Constitution Bench, the Union government may even have to amend the Presidential order or the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950. However, the use of the word ‘class’ in this judgement has the potential to change the basic principle of untouchability.
The Presidential Order and Ambedkar
The Presidential Order of 1950 was drafted by Dr BR Ambedkar in addition to Article 341 of the Constitution of India, which empowers the President to “specify the castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or tribes which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Castes” in any state or union territory.
Based on his long, strenuous struggle against untouchability as the then Law Minister, Ambedkar treated the entire group of Scheduled Castes as homogenous in Article 341. His fundamental goal was to provide reservations in the electoral system, education, and employment for the Scheduled Castes of India.
To be fair to the tribes, who were also severely oppressed, Ambedkar included them in the Presidential order as Scheduled Tribes. Of course, these two broad categories were already listed in the Census records of India as homogenous categories.
Six of the seven judges of the Constitution Bench agreed that sub-classification of SC/ST groups is not unconstitutional. Their conclusion was based on the Union Law Ministry’s approval note, and oral arguments by the Union government’s advocates in the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court’s proposed reservation models
There were a total of six judgements given by the Constitution Bench. Then Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, in the judgement written for himself and Justice Manoj Misra, proposed two models of reservations for the “sub-classified classes” – a preference model and an exclusive model.
“In the first model, the class(es) [emphasis added] that are more socially backward are given a preference to all the seats that are reserved for the Scheduled Castes,” Justice Chandrachud’s judgement said.
Justice Chandrachud had said in his judgement that the preference for certain castes can apply to either all seats or just a certain percentage of the seats.
This is the model that Telangana has decided to follow, by splitting the 15% SC quota into three sub-categories. This means any vacancies notified but left unfilled by candidates from Group 1 (comprising sub-castes that are socially, economically, and educationally most backward) shall be filled by candidates from Group 2, and those unfilled by Group 2 shall be filled by Group 3. If suitable candidates are not available in all the groups, the vacancies will be carried forward.
In the exclusive model, a percentage of seats shall be exclusively available to certain castes, to be carried over to subsequent years until they are filled by those castes alone.
Heterogeneity among SCs
Ambedkar included Article 341 in the Constitution after facing a lot of opposition. The term ‘caste’ and not ‘class’ was used quite consciously by him. In the Presidential order too, the term ‘caste’ was used with the same approach.
The category of ‘untouchables’ is entirely different from categories such as ‘Shudra’ and ‘Dwija’, even in ancient and medieval India. The ‘untouchables’ were known as ‘Chandalas’ in those times, and were attributed a common identity by the Hindu Sanskrit texts including the Vedas, Ramayana, and Mahabharata. There was no differentiation between the sub-groups. The modern-day Chamars, Jatavs, Mahars, Matangs, Valmikis, Malas, Madigas, and so on, were seen as one group of Chandalas back then.
Whatever occupation they were in–leather work, cattle rearing, village cleaning, or village defense–the concept of Chandala treated all of them as one group of human untouchables, who were forced to live outside the Shudra and Dwija localities.
The Dwijas—Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas—also treated all Shudras as one group, whether they were tillers of land, shepherds, potters, smiths, etc.
With a conscious understanding and intent of eradicating the barbaric system of human untouchability, Ambedkar classified the various ‘untouchable’ castes under one group of Scheduled Castes. Hundreds of castes continue to suffer various forms of untouchability even today.
Precedent set by the RSS and BJP
In the recent past, many Hindutva leaders associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been referring to Scheduled Castes as ‘former untouchables’ or ‘ex-untouchables’, suggesting that they no longer suffer untouchability now. The RSS has been trying to convey to the world that untouchability no longer exists in India.
Hindutva intellectuals have been arguing that the caste system itself was a Muslim-British construct. It is a known fact that human untouchability as a structural practice in Hinduism is a major embarrassment to Hindutva forces.
Caste, class, and the creamy layer
A majority of the Constitution Bench was of the view that the Scheduled Caste category under Article 341 was not a homogeneous group and that the sub-castes faced varying degrees of backwardness. The majority view was that creating sub-classifications within the SC category does not dilute the President’s powers to notify the Scheduled Caste list under Article 341.
However, the language used in the judgement, and the inclination towards bringing in a creamy layer for SCs, is worrisome. The Justice Shameem Akhtar commission in Telangana, for instance, recommended a creamy layer comprising of families of MLAs, MPs, Zilla Parishad chairpersons, mayors, and other public representatives, as well as those employed in Group I services and similar positions in the government.
Along the lines of Justice Chandrachud’s judgement, if ‘caste’ is replaced with ‘class’ in an amended Presidential Order, the question of creamy layer that four of the seven judges of the Constitution Bench approved of is likely to find a place in SC and ST reservations. It is only a matter of time.
The RSS and BJP have already taken steps to introduce class and not caste as the criteria for affirmative action, by bringing in reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
Hindutva intellectuals have repeatedly asked how long reservations are to continue in India. The main hurdle to removing caste-based reservations all along was the Constitutional status accorded to SCs and STs through Article 341. Once the basis of that category changes from caste to class, the whole foundation that Ambedkar laid for reservations in India will collapse.
Of course, if untouchability in India has really been done away with, then such a step makes sense. But untouchability of SCs is still in operation in various new and old forms. The Supreme Court judges, who delivered the SC sub-classification verdict, were aware of this fact.
In villages, in the fields of production, in food practices, and in marital relationships, untouchability still operates in age-old forms. In addition, in most modern capitalist-democratic institutions such as universities and colleges including the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) etc. young people are often driven to suicide through institutional untouchability. The most stark example is that of Rohith Vemula’s institutional murder in 2016 at the University of Hyderabad, but there have been many others before and after him.
The SC sub-classification judgement, as many pro-sub-caste classification forces are expecting, is not a straightforward boon on the track of social justice, especially if it paves the way for a creamy layer for SCs. Such a move would be an ideological capital punishment for the foundation of the reservation system in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised in an exclusive public meeting of Madigas in Hyderabad in November 2023, just before the Telangana Assembly elections, that he would set up a committee to consider the community’s demands for sub-categorisation. His government also argued before the Supreme Court in favour of SC sub-classification.
The Constitution Bench judgement, in a way, has helped fulfill PM Modi’s promise. At the same time, however, it might have paved the way to enforce the RSS narrative that untouchability no longer exists in India. If the word ‘caste’ is replaced with ‘class’ in a new, amended Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, it means that Article 341 could also be amended to suit the Hindutva ideology and obfuscate the reality of caste injustice in India.
Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd is a political theorist, social activist, and author. His latest book is ‘The Shudra Rebellion’.
New Delhi [India], February 6 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused Congress of "hatred and anger" towards BR Ambedkar and said they were raising slogan of 'Jai Bhim' due to compulsion.
Replying in Rajya Sabha to the motion of thanks on President's Address, PM Modi alleged that Congress did all to defeat Ambedkar in elections due to its "hatred"
He said Congress did not confer Bharat Ratna on Babasaheb Ambedkar.
"It is well documented how much anger and hatred Congress had towards Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar. It is well documented how much anger Congress had towards Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. They felt irritated with his words. Due to this anger, they did everything to defeat Babasaheb in the two elections (1952, 1954) . They did not consider Babasaheb worthy of the Bharat Ratna. Today due to compulsions they are having to raise the slogan of 'Jai Bhim'. Congress is expert in changing colours. This can be clearly seen," PM Modi said.
He accused Congress of destabalising elected governments when it was in power at the Centre.
He alleged that a reason for the "present condition" of Congress is that rather than trying to improve its own position, it is busy impeding progress of others.
"Congress destabilised the governments. Because their motto remains, 'Dusre ki lakeer chhoti karo (to limit others)'. This is why Congress' condition is like this. The country's grand-old party, connected with freedom struggle, and this is their plight? Aap apni lakeer lambi karne main mehnat kijiye to kabhi na kabhi desh apko bhi ye 10 meter dur yahan ane ka avsar degi [If they would have thought about themselves, they would get a chance to sit on the ruling side (in the Parliament)]," PM Modi said.
PM Modi also said attempts were being made to spread "caste poison" in the society.
"Today, attempts are being made to spread caste poison in the society...For many years, OBC MPs from all parties have been demanding constitutional status for the OBC Panel. But their demand was rejected, as it might not have suited their (Congress) politics. But we gave constitutional status to this panel," PM Modi said.
The House later adopted the motion of thanks to the President's address. (ANI)
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.
Comments
Post a Comment