Thursday, 19 September 2024
Thursday, 19 September 2024
The Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti from Rajasthan, Dalit and Adivasi organisations from various other states observed a Bharat Bandh (nationwide strike) on Wednesday to protest the Supreme Court’s verdict on the sub-classification of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes across states in India on Aug 1.
A bench of the apex court led by CJI DY Chandrachud, in a 6:1 ruling, advocated for “effective representation” of the oppressed in public services and permitted the states to carve out “the more disadvantaged” from the larger group of Scheduled Castes.
This verdict overturned the 2004 decision in E V Chinnaiah v State of Andhra Pradesh, in which the SC/ST had been listed as a “homogenous group.”
Dalit and Adivasi groups pan India and the Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti of Rajasthan called for a strike against this ruling. The Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal lend credence to the cause citing dissatisfaction of SC and STs.
Ranchi, Jharkhand
In most parts of Ranchi, schools remained closed. Several long-route public buses were left parked at bus stands, which inconvenienced commuters. "I had to go to Giridih today for urgent work. But, buses are not plying. I had no prior information about this development," said Vinod Rawani, as he awaited transportation at the Khadgarha bus stand.
Chief Minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren from the JMM had planned to visit Palamu today to launch the Mukhyamantri Maiya Samman Yojana. But, as per Cabinet minister and JMM MLA Mithilesh Thakur, Soren postponed the event to 22nd August in support of the bandh.
“The Union govt should take an appropriate decision in the interest of the reserved class by bringing an ordinance in the wake of SC order. Jharkhand govt does not want injustice to happen to any class,” Mithilesh Thakur said.
Jharkhand has yet to release a caste census. However, former CM Champai Soren had directed the personnel department to prepare a draft and place it before the cabinet for approval.
Bihar
Protestors put up blockades and vehicular traffic was disrupted in parts of the state. In Arrah, the Bhim Army supporters blocked railway tracks. In the Jehanabad district, a few agitators clashed with security personnel, trying to block movement of traffic on National Highway-83.
“Five protesters were detained as they tried to disrupt traffic movement on NH-83 near Unta Chowk. They were later removed from the spot and normality was restored,” said Hulas Baitha, Sub-Inspector, Town police station.
In Darbhanga, a group of SC/ST activists and supporters stopped the Sampark Kranti train in support of the Bharat Bandh.
Odisha
In Odisha's Sambalpur, protesters reportedly stopped two trains at the Khetrajpur Station. However, Jharsuguda witnessed a more peaceful protest.
BSP's Maywati reacts to the bandh
Taking to X, the national president of the BSP, Mayawati, announced that her party completely endorsed the bandh as “there is anger and resentment against the Supreme Court's August 1 decision regarding the sub-classification of SC/ST and the creamy layer among them”.
According to Maywati, the BJP and the Congress have conspired against the reservation system, which they want to make “ineffective and eventually end”.
“In this regard, the people of these classes will submit a memorandum to the government today as part of the Bharat Bandh and strongly demand that the changes made in reservation be abolished through a constitutional amendment,” Mayawati added.
Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav called the bandh a “mass movement” which has the potential to “instill new consciousness among the exploited and deprived”. According to Yadav, the protest “will prove to be a shield of people's power against any kind of tampering with reservation. Peaceful movement is a democratic right."
"Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar had already warned that the Constitution will only work if the intentions of those implementing it are correct,” he added. He justified the strike because the incumbent government decided to “tamper with the Constitution and the rights given by it through fraud, scams and scandals”.
Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan
The founder of the Bhim Army and Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) took to Instagram and declared the “mass movement” was a clear message to the central and state governments that the Bahujan community would not allow the conspiracy of 'divide and rule' to succeed. He also accused the government of leaving “reserved category seats vacant by calling them NFS” in Hindi. Later, Azad also joined the people on the streets and sat on a dharna against the SC’s verdict.
