CURATED BY – CHANDAN KUMAR CHAUBEY | CITYCHIEFNEWS

Patna, the controversy is increasing among Dalits on the Supreme Court's decision regarding reservation for Scheduled Castes and Tribes. A group of Dalit organizations have announced Bharat Bandh on 21st August against the court's decision. But other sections of Dalit castes have opposed the Bharat Bandh and demanded immediate implementation of the Supreme Court's decision.

Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, supporting the demand for creamy layer in reservation for Dalits, has said that the Supreme Court's decision should be implemented immediately. Manjhi held a meeting with representatives of 18 castes included in the Dalit category in Patna today. After the meeting, opposition to the Bharat Bandh on 21st August was announced. Jitan Ram Manjhi has demanded from Nitish Kumar that the Bihar government should immediately make provision for separate reservation for the most vulnerable castes included among Dalits, otherwise they will be forced to take to the streets.

Conflict in NDA
With the announcement of Jitan Ram Manjhi, the conflict within the NDA has increased. A day earlier, Union Minister and LJP (R) chief Chirag Paswan had said that he opposes quota within reservation for Dalits and will put forth his point to the Central Government. At the same time, Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi in the Central Government today held a meeting of 18 castes in support of the demand for quota within reservation for Dalits and warned of taking to the streets.

Union MSME Minister and former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said that if the Bihar Government does not implement the Supreme Court's decision to implement sub-categorization on the basis of creamy layer in SC-ST reservation, then people of 18 Dalit castes will take to the streets. People of 18 castes included in the Dalit category will hold a rally in Patna. Manjhi said that the castes which are deprived of the benefits of reservation in SC ST reservation should be given benefits by sub-categorization in reservation (quota within quota). Jitan Ram Manjhi called a conference of 18 castes in Ravindra Bhawan (Patna) on Tuesday under the banner of Vanchit Scheduled Caste-Tribe Front, Bihar. He said that the spirit of the Supreme Court should be respected by implementing sub-classification of castes in reservation as soon as possible. Representatives of castes deprived of reservation like Musahar-Bhuiyan, Dom, Mehtar Turi, Rajwar, Bhokta, Ghumnatu etc. participated in this conference.

A resolution was passed in Jitan Ram Manjhi's conference saying that the Supreme Court has taken the right decision for the communities left behind in reservation by giving the decision of sub-classification in SC ST reservation. In the light of the Supreme Court's decision in SC ST reservation, the Bihar government should take immediate steps and implement sub-classification in SC-ST as soon as possible. It was said in this conference that the state government should immediately give priority to the class left behind in reservation in SC ST category in education, employment and benefits of schemes.

Opposition to Bharat Bandh

The association of 18 Dalit castes has said that they consider the "Bharat Bandh" called on this issue on 21 August 2024 as leaderless and inappropriate. In such a situation, people of all 18 castes are taking a pledge not to participate in this Bharat Bandh.

Supporting the demands of the Morcha, Jitan Ram Manjhi said that till date the reservation has not been reviewed, which should have been done without delay. He said that we will definitely talk about sub-categorization so that the class which has not got the facility after 78 years also gets a chance. Manjhi said that the affluent Dalits are spreading the lie that there is a conspiracy to end the reservation. We oppose spreading such misconception. Today, 78 years after independence, the affluent Dalits are the ones who have been taking advantage of 95% jobs and all the facilities on the basis of reservation.

He said that the people of 18 castes in Bihar are not getting any benefit of reservation till date, so we demand from the Bihar government and the central government that there should be sub-classification in reservation. There are 18 castes in Bihar whose population is 10%, they should get at least 10% reservation and some rich Dalits are talking about ending reservation, they are doing wrong. They are the same people who want to stop the path of development of deprived Dalits. Manjhi said that he wants the state government to try to bring the deprived Dalits into the mainstream by doing classification in reservation in Bihar like Haryana.

In the program, Bihar Minister Dr. Santosh Kumar Suman said that the people of 18 castes of Dalits should unite and show their strength by showing unity. We do not oppose anyone, but we advocate for those who have been deprived and who have not got any facility of reservation till date. They should get a chance.