|
Hail CII proposal Chandrabhan Prasad |
| De-segregating
society was one of the greatest mandates of independent India.
Integrating Dalits/Tribals in Government jobs was the prime tool. A
quota of 22.5 per cent was fixed. If there were no quota in government
jobs, the present Dalit/Tribal middle class would have been less than
half the size. In my own estimate, about five million Dalit/Tribals
have benefited from quota so far. |
| The
author of the 22.5 per cent quota was none other than Baba Saheb
Ambedkar himself. As a philosopher, he had decoded character of the
Indian society well. Unless legislated, the society would not move. So,
he deployed the quota doctrine, which worked, and produced a wondrous
middle class from within the community. |
| As
a philosopher, Ambedkar had also decoded conflicts between legislations
and the social conscience. In his one of the most fundamental writings
titled as Ranade, Gandhi and Jinnah Ambedkar wrote: "As experience
proves, rights are protected not by law but by the social and moral
conscience of society. If social conscience is such that it is prepared
to recognise the rights which law chooses to enact, rights will be safe
and secure. But, if the fundamental rights are opposed by the
community, no law, no parliament, no judiciary, can guarantee them in
the real sense of the term." |
| That
prophetic statement of Dr Ambedkar stands vindicated. The report of the
National Commission for SC/STs published when India was celebrating
Golden Jubilee of its Independence, tells the whole tale. Despite fixed
quota of 22.5 per cent for SC/STs, their representation in Group A
Services remains at 13.04 per cent- shortfall of 09.46 per cent. Even
at Group B level, the shortfall is at 7.15 per cent. |
| Situation
in nationalised banks is even worse. In Group A services, the shortfall
is 11.82 per cent. Situation in public sector enterprises is no better.
In Group A Services, the shortfall is 7.75 per cent. In fact, in
government-run primary schools, SC/ST quota remains unfulfilled. |
| How
do we understand this phenomenon? Despite a well laid Constitutional
provision, and 121 SC/ST MPs standing guard, the SC/ST quota remains
unfulfilled even after half a century! As a matter of fact, though
there was a political consensus on the rights of Dalit/Tribals, the
larger society did not fully approve of it. The social and moral
conscience of society thus, subverted the legislative measures as
evolved by the Constituent Assembly. That has been our experience for
over half a century. |
| In
the private sector job debate, there is a pro-active Dalit lobby
insisting for a legislation fixing quota in the private sector jobs.
The industry organisations are opposed to it. They however, are willing
to balance social composition of their workforce on their own. And,
they are devising an action plan to that end. They are even promising
to publicly announce their performances every year. |
| Should
the Dalit leadership still insist for a fixed quota, and remain
antagonistic to the CII-ASSOCHAM promise of affirmative action to be
implemented from this October? |
| If
forced by legislation, the private sector can evolve one thousand
measures to subvert that. If the State could not fulfil its own
legislative measures, how will the same State accomplish that task in
the private sector? |
| The
term affirmative action is borrowed from the US, where quota has been
hotly debated. The US affirmative action had begun its journey with a
fixed quota for Black contractors in the State-funded construction
projects. |
| Soon,
the experience failed as the larger White society did not approve of
that. The US finally settled with goals, targets. The companies on
their own fix goals/targets to hire more and more Blacks. |
| In
fact, many a top American corporation have tied up promotions and
bonuses of their managers with their affirmative action performances. |
| Should
not then the Dalit leadership join hands with CII-ASSOCHAM, welcome
their proposal, and lead them to a situation of achieving goals/targets? |
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"Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power.
It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality."
- Dr BR Ambedkar
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