Caste is most often seen through the prism of conflict—the heated national debates about reservations, the political polarization on the census and the attacks on young couples that have been blessed by caste panchayats.
But far away from the spotlight, there is the more benign world of organizations and activists who continue to nurture informal networks based on caste, to help fledgeling businesses, build educational institutions and promote philanthropy.
Caste continues to puzzle and infuriate many modernizers, but the institution has survived and changed in the six decades after independence even as it continues to whip up passions that can split most political parties down the middle.
At the same time, analysts feel that the caste organizations’ co-option into politics and vice-versa has led to trivialization of the groups’ roles such as their activities remaining limited to distributing medals and organizing dinners to community members
1. That this is a petition lodged under Article 32 of the Constitution of India for enforcement of the fundamental rights of the petitioners community enshrined under Article 14,15,16,21,26 and their constitutional rights enshrined under Article 341 of the Constitution of India by challenging the vires and constitutionalism of the para 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled caste ) Order, 1950. This order, issued under Article 341 of the Constitution is discriminatory on the ground of religion in that certain Hindu castes have been declared as the Scheduled Castes whereas their Muslim counterparts have been discriminated and denied the status of Scheduled Casts.
The issue of reservation in jobs and educational institutions on the basis of religion is again under scanner after the publication of the Ranganath Mishra Commission report and the interim order of the Supreme Court in the Andhra Pradesh case, providing for reservation for the backward Muslims.
The constitutional mandate is clear. It enjoins equality before the law and leaves no scope for discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them. Further, it provides for affirmative action for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes, including a provision for reservation of jobs in the favour of backward classes which, in the opinion of the state, is not adequately represented in the services under the state.
The tabling of the Report of the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities (NCRLM), popularly called the Ranganath Mishra Commission report, in the Parliament recently has led to animated debates and mobilisations around the issue of reservations for the Muslim community. Within the Muslim community, there are two contending strands of opinions around this issue of reservations for the Muslim community. Within the Muslim community, there are two contending strands of opinions around this issue. The first group employs the discourse of ‘minority rights' and inter-group inequality to argue its position for reservation for the entire ‘community' (though complicated by the creamy layer provision).
Online edition of India's National Newspaper, Friday, Jul 17, 2009
By J. Balaji
NEW DELHI: A delegation of Members of Parliament, belonging to the Other Backward Classess (OBCs), who have come under the “Parliamentary Forum of OBC MPs,” will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar next week to seek the setting up of a “Parliamentary committee for OBCs” on the lines of the one already existing for SC/ST.
They would also urge the government to provide constitutional powers to the National Commission for Backward Classes for ensuring effective implementation of reservation policy for OBCs as enunciated in the Constitution. They point out that the similar Commission for SC/ST had such statutory powers.
These were among the decisions taken at the meeting of OBC MPs held here on Wednesday night in which over 70 MPs, belonging to both Houses of Parliament, attended, said Forum convenor and Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh V. Hanumantha Rao.
Setting up a parliamentary committee and providing constitutional powers to the BC Commission was essential to investigate and monitor all matters relating to safeguards for OBCs. He said majority in the country belong to Backward Classes and that the services of the Commission constituted for them should not be utilised for mere inclusion or exclusion in the BC list.
Ministers M. Veerappa Moily, G.K. Vasan, Sriprakash Jaiswal, Srikant Jena, V. Narayanasamy, Sachin Pilot and Arun Yadav, besides MPs from the Congress, DMK, PMK, AIADMK, Samajwadi Party and the RJD participated in the meeting.
By J. Balaji
NEW DELHI: A delegation of Members of Parliament, belonging to the Other Backward Classess (OBCs), who have come under the “Parliamentary Forum of OBC MPs,” will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar next week to seek the setting up of a “Parliamentary committee for OBCs” on the lines of the one already existing for SC/ST.
They would also urge the government to provide constitutional powers to the National Commission for Backward Classes for ensuring effective implementation of reservation policy for OBCs as enunciated in the Constitution. They point out that the similar Commission for SC/ST had such statutory powers.
These were among the decisions taken at the meeting of OBC MPs held here on Wednesday night in which over 70 MPs, belonging to both Houses of Parliament, attended, said Forum convenor and Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh V. Hanumantha Rao.
Setting up a parliamentary committee and providing constitutional powers to the BC Commission was essential to investigate and monitor all matters relating to safeguards for OBCs. He said majority in the country belong to Backward Classes and that the services of the Commission constituted for them should not be utilised for mere inclusion or exclusion in the BC list.
Ministers M. Veerappa Moily, G.K. Vasan, Sriprakash Jaiswal, Srikant Jena, V. Narayanasamy, Sachin Pilot and Arun Yadav, besides MPs from the Congress, DMK, PMK, AIADMK, Samajwadi Party and the RJD participated in the meeting.
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