Backward and Dalit communities in anger and concern about SC’s caste reservation remark

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The backward and Dalit communities are shocked, angered and concerned at the same time on the recent Supreme court remark that caste reservation should not continue indefinitely. The statement was made as the SC ruled in favor of 10 % reservation to economically weaker sections (EWS) among forward castes or general category. The DMK government in Tamil Nadu, which has decided to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against the verdict, will convene an all-party meeting to discuss the matter. Various backward and Dalit organizations have also stated that they will file a review petition. If the petitions are granted, the legal battle could continue.

Two judges of a five-member constitutional bench in SC, made observations in their judgments regarding the need for a time-limit for reservations. They said that economic reservation should be limited only to forward communities and its benefits should be extended to the poor of the backward and Dalit sections. But this was rejected by other judges.

Until recently, the economic criterion for reservation was held to be unconstitutional by the court. 27 per cent reservation for socially and educationally backward classes was granted in 1990 by VP Singh government in centre based on suggestions by Mandal committee report. Even after three decades, most of the backward communities have not even received adequate representation. Deserved reservation itself is often subverted. It is only because of caste reservation that the representation of backward and scheduled communities in jobs and standard of living has increased. So, such remarks from the court against this creates concern.