http://www.indianexpress.com/news/should-converts-be-included-in-sc-st-category-meet-sparks-off-reservation-debate/555174/
Should converts be included in SC/ST category? Meet sparks off reservation debate Express News Service Posted online: Thursday , Dec 17, 2009 at 0251 hrs Chandigarh : Speakers at a discussion organised by the Anusuchit Jati Arakshan Bachao Manch opposed the ‘dilution’ of the Scheduled Caste and Tribe reservation share by the inclusion of those who converted to Islam or Christianity. According to the speakers drawn from a varied political and bureaucratic spectrum, the report of the National Commission on Religious and Linguistic Minorities headed by Justice Ranganath Mishra submitted to the government in May 2007 has recommended an additional 15 per cent reservation for religious minorities. Opening the discussion held at the ICSSR Seminar Hall at Panjab University on Wednesday, Ram Nath Kovind, former Rajya Sabha member, said the government has not tabled the report in Parliament as it was yet undecided about its consequences. K S Raju, retired IAS officer, however, found no problem with the recommendation as long as the current proportion was maintained. Retired bureaucrat S C Tulsi said implementing the Mishra Commission recommendations was a complex and exhaustive process and would take years for implementation. T R Sarangal, a senior IAS officer, however, welcomed any proposal to include “our brethren from other religions”. He said: “We have no religion, we are all converts.” Retracing the history of reservation, a retired IPS officer of Haryana, H R Swan, said untouchability was only a tradition of Hindus and Muslims while Christians could not come under the Scheduled Castes under any criteria. Opposing the move, retired IAS officer Som Prakash said it has become a political issue and Muslims and Christians have in the past opposed their inclusion in the reservation list on the ground that they do not believe in untouchability. IAS officer R K S Pawar supported reservation for converts but also called for increasing the quota based on proportional representation in the population. Manch convener Vijay Sampla argued that the members of Scheduled Castes, who converted to Christianity or Islam, did so for getting more facilities, especially better education for their children. Winding up the discussion, Niranjan Singh, chairman, Punjab Scheduled Caste Commission, suggested that there was a need to institutionalise the forum and meet more regularly. ------------------------------------ ---- INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to [email protected], OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE:- On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to [email protected] TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:- If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to [email protected] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/ Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
