SC agrees to examine if benefit of quota must be given to communities who continue to be socially, economically backward
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The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to examine whether benefit of quota in government employment and admissions to state-run institutions be first given to those members of quota-covered communities who continue to be the most socially and economically backward.A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi has asked for a response from Union government on a joint petition filed by two people, one belonging to the SC community and the other an OBC. Following brief arguments from advocate Reena Singh. the top court had a was careful in its observations. "This is a sensitive issue requiring careful consideration." Singh said petitioners do not seek any change in quota percentage for scheduled communities.Further, Justice Kant said that many form SC, ST and OBC communities had been uplifted socially and economically by gaining the elite categories of government employment because of the reservation system. He added that they could provide for the best of education and facilities to their children, adding that it was probably the time to consider whether such a class of people should continue to avail reservation at the cost of their own community members who really require the provisions.A seven-member bench, authored by Justice B R Gavai, only the second member from the Dalit community to become CJI, had on August 1, 2024 permitted states to sub-categorise castes within SC communities based on degrees socio-economic backwardness and and under-representation in government jobs to ensure that the larger pie of 15% quota went to the most backward.At the time, the court had directed state governments to devise suitable criteria to bar the ' creamy layer ' among SCs from availing reservation.The petitioners have argued, "Candidates from affluent SC, ST and OBC families often secure reserved jobs and seats. Individuals from extremely poor backgrounds and needy aspirants seldom get a chance to get a job or admission to government colleges despite the reservation policy . This defeats the purpose of social justice and perpetuates inequality within reserved categories.""By incorporating an economic threshold within reservations, the policy would align with the broader constitutional mandate of creating an egalitarian society. Furthermore, such reforms would prevent monopolisation of benefits by a privileged few, ensuring that affirmative action remains a dynamic and effective tool for socio-economic upliftment ," they argued.(With ToI inputs)
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Time of India
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This ideological foundation that shared minority status automatically translates into mutual solidarity forms the conceptual bedrock of today's "Jai Meem Jai Bheem" movement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Access all TV channels anywhere, anytime Techno Mag Learn More Undo During the tumultuous partition period, Mandal emerged as a key Muslim League leader, instructing his SC followers to vote for Pakistan's creation. When communal violence erupted across Bengal, Mandal toured extensively, urging Dalits to refrain from retaliating against Muslims, arguing that both communities were equally victimized by oppression. His rhetoric of unity and brotherhood convinced hundreds of thousands of Dalit Hindus to remain in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), trusting in the Muslim League's promises of equality and protection. The Muslim League's courting of Dalit support was strategically calculated. Recognizing that SC comprised significant voting blocs in Bengal and other regions, Muslim leaders crafted elaborate promises of social equality, economic opportunity, and political representation. They painted Pakistan as a progressive state where caste hierarchies would dissolve and merit would triumph over birth-based discrimination. These assurances proved to be sophisticated political deceptions designed exclusively for electoral gain. THE BRUTAL REALITY OF BETRAYAL The promised land of equality swiftly transformed into a nightmare of persecution. By 1950, Mandal found himself compelled to resign from his ministerial position and flee to India. His resignation letter to PM Liaquat Ali Khan, dated October 8, 1950, documents horrors that constitute one of the 20th century's most underreported genocides. The systematic nature of the atrocities was particularly chilling. In Sylhet district alone, Mandal reported that of 350 Dalilt settlements, merely three survived intact, the remainder had been reduced to ash. Armed police and military personnel perpetrated brutalities against Hindus, particularly Scheduled Castes. Men faced forture, women endured mass rape, homes were plundered, and hundreds of temples and gurdwaras were desecrated before being converted into slaughterhouses, meat shops, and hotels serving non-vegetarian food a calculated assault on Hindu religious sensibilities. Specific incidents revealed the organized nature of persecution: in Gopalganj's Digharkul, armed police destroyed an entire Namasudra village on fabricated charges, in Parisal's Gournadi, Scheduled Caste settlements faced assault under political pretexts, during Dhaka riots, jewellery shops were looted and burned while police officials watched passively. 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AMBEDKAR'S PRESCIENT WARNINGS BR Ambedkar had anticipated this catastrophe. In seminal works including 'Pakistan or the Partition of India' and 'Thoughts on Pakistan', he warned that Muslim politics was fundamentally communal in character, willing to accommodate Scheduled Castes only as long as they provided political advantage. Ambedkar's analysis proved tragically prescient, aligning perfectly with Mandal's eventual experiences. Ambedkar understood what Mandal fatally overlooked: the religious and cultural values of Dalit and Muslim communities were so fundamentally divergent that genuine equality and coexistence represented nothing more than dangerous political illusion. He cautioned Hindu Dalits that regardless of how extensively Muslim leadership performed brotherhood theatrics, they would ultimately treat Dalits as "kafirs" or "jimmi" (infidels) deserving no consideration in an Islamic political framework. 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These philosophical differences, rooted in fundamentally different worldviews about individual rights, social progress, and cultural values, make genuine partnership impossible. THE PATH FORWARD Contemporary India must acknowledge that sustainable Dalit progress and security will emerge through self-reliance, education, political awareness, and organizational power not through alliances that history has repeatedly proven catastrophic The "Jal Meem Jal Bheem" concept and its practical applications have historically manifested as Scheduled Caste humiliation, identity destruction, and existential annihilation. Therefore, as we commemorate Partition's suffering, let us resolve to make decisions based on historical facts and collective experiences, remaining free from emotional sloganeering and vote bank-driven narrow politics. Jogendra Nath Mandal's experiences and Dr. Ambedkar's warnings teach us that Scheduled Castes will never achieve security, social justice, and dignity from hands that have historically deceived them through religious fanaticism, appeasement, and vote bank politics. This represents not merely historical interpretation but guidance for present and future generations. Those who ignore history's lessons are condemned to repeat its most tragic chapters. (Writer is UP BJP's General secretary, Organization) Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
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an hour ago
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