Dalit organisations react to Supreme Court verdict allowing sub-categorisation of SC/STs
arun
Posted On August 2, 2024
Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) president Milind Kamble welcomed the verdict, calling it “an important step towards empowerment of the most backward classes within the Scheduled Castes”.
New Delhi: Various Dalit organisations and community leaders have expressed mixed reactions to the Supreme Court’s recent verdict allowing states to sub-categorise Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) to ensure equitable distribution of quotas among more backward sub-castes within these groups.
Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) president Milind Kamble welcomed the verdict, calling it “an important step towards empowerment of the most backward classes within the Scheduled Castes”.
Kamble emphasised that the Constitution’s provision for reservation for SCs/STs was aimed at achieving “socio-economic upliftment” of these historically marginalised communities, The Indian Express reported. However, he pointed out that over the decades, certain sub-castes within the SCs have felt left out in availing these reservation benefits.
“This has led to tensions between various sub-castes such as Mahars and Matangs in Maharashtra, Jatavs and Valmikis in Uttar Pradesh and Malas and Madigas in Telangana,” Kamble said.
He said the sub-classification will help bridge the existing gap between backward and most backward groups within the Scheduled Castes and should be seen as a step towards affirmative action to achieve the intended objectives of reservation.
“Reservation is designed to remove social and educational discrimination, but economic upliftment of SCs/STs is equally important,” Kamble said.
In Maharashtra, where SCs constitute 16% of the state’s population according to the 2011 census, the reservation quota for SCs has been set at 13%. The Mahar community is considered the most influential among SC groups in the state.
Several Dalit bodies and leaders in Maharashtra have cautiously supported the Supreme Court’s decision, agreeing with it in principle but urging a deeper discussion on its details and implications.
Courtesy : Hindi News
