New Delhi: The Haryana government’s decision to implement a panel recommendation and sub-categorise the existing reservation available for scheduled caste communities in the state has resulted in a mixed response, with SC groups which have benefitted from the move welcoming it, while others, including Dalit rights activist terming it as an effort by the BJP government to divide Dalits.
The Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government in Haryana has created two categories – category A comprising Deprived Scheduled Castes (DSCs) and category B comprising Other Scheduled Castes (OSCs) – each of whom will be provided 50 per cent reservation each from the overall 20 per cent reservation for SCs in government jobs, reported Hindustan Times.
The sub-classification pitch had worked in favour of the BJP in the recently-concluded Haryana assembly elections, wherein the saffron party had won eight of the 17 seats reserved for the SC category, an improvement from 2019, when the party had won five of these seats.
“The other faction within the Scheduled Castes are unhappy because they availed the reservation benefits for many years and it’s our request to them not to be decried. The BJP government has always given due rights and benefits to every community. If this sub-quota had been implemented earlier, the children from DSC could also get job benefits in Haryana. The other faction within the SC community has more wealth and they have eaten our rights,” said BJP leader and former minister Bishamber Singh Valmiki.
Several Dalit rights activists have opposed this move by the BJP government.
“If this government wants to help the SC communities like Dhanak, Balmiki and others, they should have given 10% reservation to them under the EWS category without making any change in the SC reservation quota. On what basis this decision was taken? No economic survey was conducted and neither the population census took place. This is an attempt to create a rift in the society and gain political mileage,” said Dalit activist Vikram Dumolia.
Earlier this year, a constitution bench of the Supreme Court had held that sub-classification of the Scheduled Castes is permissible for the purpose of granting separate quotas for those who are more backwards among communities in the list.
