http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/Ranganath-recommends-15-quota-for-Dalit-minorities/articleshow/5354328.cms
Ranganath recommends 15% quota for ‘Dalit minorities’ 19 Dec 2009, 0406 hrs IST, ET Bureau NEW DELHI: THE Ranganath Commission has recommended Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Hindu converts to Christianity and Islam. It has also suggested a 10% reservation for Muslims and 5% for other minorities in government jobs. But this report that contains politically unpalatable recommendations is certain to put in the deep freezer. The commission has recommended delinking of Scheduled Caste status from religion and abrogation of the 1950 Scheduled Caste Order which “still excludes Muslims, Christians, Jains and Parsis from the Supreme Court net.” The order originally restricted Scheduled Caste status to Hindus alone, but was later opened to Buddhists and Sikhs. “We recommend that all those social and vocational groups among minorities who but for their religious identity would have been covered by the present net of Scheduled Castes should be unquestionably treated as socially backward, irrespective of whether the religion of those other communities recognise the caste system or not,” the Commission said. It also said that “those groups among minorities whose counterparts in the majority community are at present covered by the net of Scheduled Tribes should also be included in that net. More specifically, members of the minority communities living in any tribal area from pre-independence days should be so included irrespective of their ethnic characteristics,” the commission recommended. The commission, which felt that education is a crucial factor for development and enhancement of social and economic status, told the government that “the focus has to be not only for extending the education facilities for all, but also ensuring the quality of education.” The commission said that 10% seats should be reserved for Muslims and 5% for other minorities in Central and state government jobs in all cadre and grades. It added that in case of non-availability of Muslims to fill the 10% earmarked seats, these may be made available to other minorities, but in “no case” shall any seat within the recommended 15% shall be given to anybody from the majority community. Member Secretary of the Commission Asha Das has given a note of dissent on the the Commission’s recommendation for conferment of SC status on Dalit converts to Christianity and Islam saying there was “no justification” for it. Besides, she has said that as Dalit converts to Christianity/Islam do not qualify for inclusion as SCs, they should continue to form part of OBCs and avail facilities and reservations given to the OBCs until a comprehensive list of Socially and Educationally Backward (SEB) is prepared. The Commission, however, rejected the contentions made by Das in the dissent note and said: “We firmly stand by every word of the recommendations, we have made under this term of reference.” The government has not placed an Action Taken Report on the recommendation in Parliament. In any case, the government is not bound to come out with an ATR as the panel was not set up under the Commissions of Inquiry Act. The recommendation of ‘religion-based’ quota not just goes against the Constitution, it could also give a handle to the Opposition to beat the government with. There is constitutional restriction on Christian and Muslim Dalits being allowed access to reservation. ------------------------------------ ---- 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/
