Since India got freedom Congress as well as the other political parties--constituted with their own sake to reach the throne-- are crying at the top of their voices for removal of poverty and reservation to the women but no concrete steps are taken so far.If the ruling party allows to table the bill the opposition on plea or the other objects and vice versa.As well as the demands of elected represented is concerned, it is passed without any delay but in public interest so much of time and public exchequer is wasted on the drama of no result, proves that how great dramatists these politicians are.
After the implementation of the Constitution of India in 1950,reservation in eduaction and employment was given to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their respective strength in population inCentral andState governments. Though the socially and educationally backwards were entitled to get proportional rreservation in employment and educatiooon,in both Central and State governments, the Congress government headed by Jawahar Lal Nehru took a firm stand against granting reservation to the Backward Classes in Central and State governments,in 1961.
It istrue that Pt Nehru took all initiatives in 1951 in right earnest to add clause(4) to Article 15 with the sole inentioin of enabling the BCs, SCs and STs to enjoy reservation in all categories of educational institutions under "the State"; and appointed the First Backwad Class Commission in 1953 as was urged by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in 1951 and received the Commission's report in 1955.
But when Nehru felt that none of theeconomically poor Brahmin sects in India had been identified and included in the list of Backward Classes by the First All India Backward Class Commission headed by Kaka Kalelkar.It is highly regrettable that such a great leader like Nehru had identified himself as a Brahmin in this instance and decided to initiate measures to stop the educational and the employment opportuniteis under the State to the BCs through cabinet decision in 1961.
"In May 1961 the cbinet decided that no national list of other Backward Classes should be drawn up, and the StatesStates were informed that in the view of the Government of India,it was better to apply economic tests than to go by caste".At the end of May a conference of Chief Ministers to consider matters relating to National Integration agreed that economic backwardness rather than community or caste would provide an appropriate criterionfor giving aid to individuals in matters of education including professional and technical training".In August 1961,the Home Ministry informed the State governments of the Centre's decision not to list Backward Classed. In the Ministry's view the very expansiveness of such proposed enumerations as that of the Backward Classes Commission militated against them.(Source: "Competing Equalities" by Marc Galanter,1984,page 176)
"If the boulk of the country's millions were to be regarded as coming within the category of Backward Classes, no useful purpose could be served by separate enumeration of such classes ..."
"The withdrawal of the Central Government from involvement in preferences forthe otherBackward Classes was confirmed by the omission of any provisiooon for them in the Central sector of the Third Five Year Plan".(Source:"Competing Equalities" by Marc Galanter,1984,pp176-177)
The above decisions of the Nehru government resulted in non-preparation of the list ofbackward classes on All India basis which was sin qua non for implementation of reservation for the socially and educationally backward classes. This was so for over 30 years.
This is how Pt Nehru had betrayed te interests of the backward classes long back.
Subsequently Prime Minister Indira Gandhi came forward to present the Mandal Commission Report in Parliament in 1982 but she also advocated reservation to the Backward Classes on economic criterion. However the then Home Minister Giani Zail Singh took steps to implement 27% reservarion to the backward classes on case basis. It did not materialise during that period.
Rajiv Gandhi did not pay any serious attention to implement reservation to the backwad classes. Hi successor V.P.Singh had the guts to implement 27% reservation in services to the BCs and passed orders to that effect on Aug.13,1990.But V.P.Singh too failed to grant 27% reservation in Central Govt.Education yo ther backwardclasses for reasons unknown.
The next PrimeMinister P.V.Narasimha Rao was very particlar in diluting the orders passed by V.P.Singh and he prescribed economic criterion tothe backward classes withinth 27 %. Thw Supreme Court also laid down in 1992 that economic criterion sholdbe applied while implementing 27 %reservation to the backward classes.
It is astonishing why all the national parties and the judiciary had been very particular in singling out the backward classes only.
It is very much shocking why the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the United Progressive Alliance presided by the Congress had kept dead silence on this issue
. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi,the president of the Congress as well as ofUnited Progressive Alliance might have developed an aversion towardsgranting reservation to backward classes andmight have chosen to tread the footsteps ofJawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi andRajiv Gandhi.
Further for granting reservation in private sector the present government do no want to make any Constitutional provision. In this connection Social andEmpowerment Minister Meera Kumar--daughter of Late Jagjivan Ram-- has said recently thatthe CMP does not speak of legislation for reservation in private sector even to SCs andSts. She has further said that the Confederation of Indian Industries and taken a list of fifty meritorious Sc/ST students from the IIts who would be given jobs in the major industrial units as a test case after training.She has not revealed her thinking about the issueof reservation to backward classes in private sector.It is to bepresumed that she is consciously anti-backward.
Reservation To Women
As for reservation to women in Parliament and State Legislatures,it is urged the leaders of all the national and regional parteies to introduce provisions for reservation of stipulated quantum of seats for women in their party committees from national lavel to village leel. In case they fail to do so, it will mean that their cry for providing reservation to women inParliament andLegislatures and other elective bodies is plainly an eyewash.Dr Ram Manohar Lohia fought for exclusive reservation for women in all spheres of life between 1956 and 1967 but lag behind in advocating reservation for women in Parliament,Legislatures and otherelective bodies through amending the Constitution. The Congress party has been advocating that the number ofseats in Lok Sabha should be increased to 800 from the present 543.This is non-sensible,audacious and undemocratic on the firsty sight. This amounts to side tracking the issue. Hence such a move by the Congress deserves condemnation by all sections of the people and all democratic institutions. In other words, it can be said that the politicians are bent upon to remove theirs and their fellowers' poverty and backwardness not of the public in general.
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