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Dalit, Adivasi bodies take to streets in protest against SC’s sub-quota decision
Dalit and Adivasi groups protest Supreme Court judgment and demand sub-categorisation clarity, law nullification and caste census in India
Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad with others during a protest at Jantar Mantar amid ‘Bharat Bandh’ against the Supreme Court’s August 1 decision on the issue of SC-ST reservation in New Delhi on Wednesday (August 21, 2024).
| Photo Credit: PTI
Coalition groups representing more than 21 Dalit and Adivasi associations nationwide held protest marches and rail and road blockades on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, against the Supreme Court’s August 1 judgment, demanding that the Centre clear its stand on sub-categorisation, bring a law to “nullify” the judgment, and conduct a caste census to reveal the “real situation” of different castes in India.
Early in the day, Union Minister Chirag Paswan joined a host of prominent Opposition leaders from across parties to support the peaceful protests against the Supreme Court’s judgment allowing sub-categorisation of the SC quota, saying on Wednesday that he and his party — the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), an NDA ally — “morally supported” the protests against the “Supreme Court’s decision on SC-ST reservation”.
Bharat Bandh highlights: Largely peaceful protests with sporadic incidents of violence
While normal life was most affected in Bihar and Jharkhand, where the police resorted to baton charging protesters and using water cannons, other States like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Gujarat saw these outfits take out protest marches in several districts, with many protesters alleging manhandling and violence by the police in Uttar Pradesh.
As the protests continued through the day, the central leaderships of principal Opposition parties — the Congress and the Samajwadi Party — expressed support for the protests while also maintaining their ambiguity on the core issue of sub-categorisation of SC and ST quotas; whereas smaller parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Azad Samaj Party, and Bharat Adivasi Party wholeheartedly opposed sub-categorisation, with many prominent Bahujan leaders in the north too supporting the protests.
Congress leader Pawan Khera, in a statement, said, “People from SC/ST/OBC are always being kept anxious about one thing or the other and this anxiety about the Centre’s intent is there amongst them. And it is their right to protest peacefully against what they consider incorrect.” This came even as the ruling alliance in Jharkhand led by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, of which the Congress is a part, supported the protests.
Also Read: Bharat Bandh – What’s open and what’s closed?
SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav’s post on X (formerly Twitter) called the protests a “mass movement to protect reservations”, joined in questioning the Centre’s intent, adding, “When the governments in power will tamper with the Constitution and the rights given by it through fraud, scams and scandals, then the public will have to take to the streets. Public movements put a check on an unbridled government.”
Meanwhile, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told reporters that the Centre had already clarified its stand on the “creamy layer” observations of some judges, reiterating the government’s stand that the order was meant for the States. However, BJP MP Faggan Singh Kulaste and Minister of State for Social Justice B.L. Verma accused the Opposition Congress and Mayawati’s BSP of “playing politics”.
Amidst this, in the short statement he posted on social media platform X, Mr. Paswan said, “I assure that as long as I am there, no change in the reservation is possible,” without mentioning the core issue of sub-categorisation. In a later statement to reporters, Mr. Paswan insisted on the Prime Minister’s commitment to social justice, citing the Centre’s recent U-turn on lateral entry recruitments. He said, “Along with the Opposition, even we raised questions over the lateral entry issue. Thanks to Mr. Modi’s commitment to social justice, they [Centre] have withdrawn this decision.”
Trains delayed
Nearly 50 passenger and goods trains under the Eastern Central Railways were delayed due to the blockades — most of which appeared to be in Bihar, according to railway officials. Trains were also stopped by protesters in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar and Sambalpur and passenger buses did not operate on select routes. In Gujarat’s Chhota Udepur, Narmada, Surendranagar, Sabarkantha and Aravalli districts, markets in cities and semi-urban areas remained closed and train blockades were reported.
“Protesters briefly blocked a goods train in Wadhwan taluka of Surendranagar district and shouted slogans. At Bhiloda and Shamlaji in Aravalli district, roads were blocked by protesters. Several people were detained in Patan and Aravalli districts while trying to enforce the bandh,” officials said. In parts of Bastar and Surguja divisions and Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki and Dhamtari districts several shops and commercial establishments remained closed. Bastar Division comprises seven districts and Surguja Division six districts.
In Bhopal, BJP MP Faggan Singh Kulaste, who was among the SC/ST MPs who opposed the observations and met the Prime Minister over the issue as part of a delegation, said, “The Prime Minister told us that the creamy layer provision will not be implemented among SCs and STs. The Union Cabinet has also decided that the top court’s opinion will not be implemented,” while dodging the core issue of sub-categorisation.
“Despite such clarity and decision of the government, people have called for a ‘Bharat bandh’. They are playing politics. Congress played politics in the name of SCs and STs and Mayawati [BSP chief] is also doing the same,” he said.
Also Read: Madhya Pradesh government directs authorities to ensure peaceful ‘Bharat Bandh’
In Madhya Pradesh, which has a sizeable population of the tribal community, the impact of the ‘Bharat Bandh’ was witnessed strongly in the regions dominated by the community. In districts like Pandhurna, Mandla and Betul, videos and local reports showed markets shut and public transport services halted. The impact was also witnessed in parts of the Gwalior-Chambal region such as Bhind, Morena and Gwalior where large marches were organised by outfits like the BSP and Bhim Army, with heavy deployment of police force being in place to maintain law and order.
Memorandum to PMO
In New Delhi, the National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) during the day, outlining their issues with “attacks upon reservations by the judiciary”.
While BSP national coordinator and Ms. Mayawati’s nephew Akash Anand was seen participating in protest marches in Uttar Pradesh, independent MP Pappu Yadav was seen leading crowds in Bihar’s Patna. Other prominent Bahujan leaders who have publicly opposed sub-categorisation include Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajendra Pal Gautam and Swami Prasad Maurya in Uttar Pradesh. Several protest marches were held in western Uttar Pradesh, where the Bhim Army and Azad Samaj Party have influence.
Other northern States, including Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, remained largely unaffected, barring a few places where markets remained closed and public transport services were partially affected. Rajasthan police chief U.R. Sahoo said, “Barring two to three minor incidents at different places, the bandh was peaceful across the State.” Rallies and protest marches were taken out in all districts.
In Jaipur, the SC/ST Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti held a rally against the August 1 Supreme Court verdict. “During the rally, the markets remained closed and opened after 3 p.m. The bandh was peaceful,” Suresh Saini, general secretary of Jaipur Vyapar Mahasangh, said.
Shops and other commercial establishments functioned normally in Punjab and Haryana as police in both States made elaborate security arrangements to maintain law and order.
A week after the Supreme Court’s decision, the BJP-led Haryana government made a reference to the State’s Scheduled Caste Commission on the issue of sub-classification, which recommended the same a week later. After this, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said the Cabinet had accepted the recommendation allotting half of the State’s 20% SC quota to 36 Deprived Scheduled Castes (DSC) such as Balmikis, Dhanaks, Mazhabi Sikhs, Khatik, leaving the other half for Other Scheduled Castes (OSC) like Chamar, Jatia Chamar, Rehgar, Raigar, Ramdasi, Ravidasi, Jatav, Mochi, Ramdasia.
The AAP-led Punjab government was among the States to argue for the right to sub-classify the SC quota in the Supreme Court. In court, the BJP-led Union government too argued for the right to sub-classify, both for the State and itself. However, after the judgment, it has maintained that the order was meant for States.
(With inputs from PTI)
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