Marchers Seek Job Reservation in Private Sector of India

NEW DELHI, Dec 20 : Making a newer demand of job reservation for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe people in private sector, thousands marched in New Delhi on Dec. 15.

Employees, officers and supporters of reservation from all over the country joined under the banner of All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations at Ramlila Ground.

From there, they marched to Jantar Mantar, where the confederation’s national chairman Udit Raj and Secretary General, Indira Athawale and other leaders addressed the rally.

Besides reservation in private sector, they also demanded filling up of backlog posts, enactment of Reservation Act., strict implementation of Prevention of SC/ST Atrocities Act, 1989, restoration of Special Component Plan, land to landless, time bound promotion to safai karamcharies, reservation in higher judiciary.

Disappointed by complacency and poor response from the government, participants marched with animals and instruments of old occupation like bullock-carts. The intention behind such portrayal was to expose the mindset of those industrialists, bureaucrats and politicians who are not allowing reservation in private sector.

When the industrialists were pressurized by the government and also because of the mounting pressure of the Confederation, the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and Associated Chambers of Commerce (ASSOCHAM) set up a committee under the Chairmanship of Shri J. J. Irani which recommended to provide education and training to Dalits and Tribals and to make them entrepreneurs, Raj said.

Despite several safeguards to protect Dalits, the atrocities against them are not getting halted. According to Indian National Bureau of Crime Report (2006), 27,070 crimes were committed against Dalits, though many go unreported, the confederation said in a press release.

It said 13 Dalits are murdered, 5 Dalits homes are burnt and 6 Dalits are abducted every week, 3 Dalit women are raped every day and 11 Dalits are beaten every day and a crime is committed against a Dalit every 18 minutes,.

Post-based roster system must be nullified and in its place, vacancy-based roster system is to be introduced. Time bound promotion for Safai Karmacharies has to be effected and the contract system must be abolished, the release said.

Fake caste certificates should be declared a criminal offence and an FIR should be registered alongwith departmental inquiry and the State should file cases in appropriate courts against such offenders for suitable punishment, it added.

Interstate acceptance of caste Certificates should be introduced without stipulating cut off date. Since financial, judicial and administrative autonomy does not rest with the Scheduled Caste Commission and Scheduled Tribe Commission and therefore they have become farcical bodies, said the release.

(ICNS)