What is the K.G Balakrishnan Commission & the issue of Non-Hindu Dalits still regarded as SC?
In the latest news, RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) held a conclave to discuss the issue of non-Hindus or converts being given the SC (Scheduled Caste) status.
What was the conclave about?
RSS along with Vishwa Samvad Kendra (VSK) held a conclave on ‘Conversion and Reservation’ on the 4th & 5th of March. The main motive of the conclave was to discuss whether converted Scheduled Caste people should benefit from the reservation. The discussion was attended by many jurists, educationists, research students, and others.
Speakers of the "Conclave on Conversion and Reservation" among others are..
Dr. Kuldip Chand Agnihotri, Former VC,
Central University Himachal Pradesh, Dr. Manroop Singh Meena,Pro VC @OfficialIGNOU, Dr. Prakash Bartunia, Chancellor Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University. pic.twitter.com/gIBQohKWX2— Vishva Hindu Parishad -VHP (@VHPDigital) March 1, 2023
In the press release for the same, the reason for the discussion was highlighted as “After the constitution of the Sachar Committee, the Ranganath Misra Commission and its recommendation, a situation has arisen among the Scheduled Caste brothers in the country regarding whether the converted Christians and Muslims should get a reservation or not. There is also an ongoing discussion on this in society.
Some people believe that converted Christians and Muslims do not find any change in their social status even after converting from Hinduism … On the other hand, the majority society of the country believes that the Scheduled Castes whose religion is Hinduism, should get all the facilities, representation, and reservations provided by the Constitution.”
At the conclusion of the discussion, it was unanimously agreed that Dalit Christians and Muslims should not be given the benefit of reservation.
Justice B. Shiva Shankar Rao said that the act of conversion means “ that you totally abandon the faith. And if you have left your faith, then why demand reservation and benefits given under it?”
Senior Advocate Alok Kumar also said that the “reservation to scheduled caste is sacrosanct and inclusion of converted SCS to Islam and Christianity will dilute the constitutional spirit on reservation”.
PRESS RELEASE:
RESERVATION TO SCHEDULED CASTES IS SACROSANCT; INCLUSION OF CONVERTED SCs to ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY WILL DILUTE THE CONSTITUTIONAL SPIRIT ON RESERVATION: @AlokKumarLIVE pic.twitter.com/9qEQYeSNAU— Vishva Hindu Parishad -VHP (@VHPDigital) March 6, 2023
A report of the discussions will also be handed over to the K.G Balakrishna Commission so that they can consider their viewpoint as well.
Why should Dalit Christians and Muslims not be given reservation?
They said that reservation should be available to those considered untouchables in the past. As the Abrahamic Religions of Islam and Christianity have no caste system, there is no untouchability and hence, no need of reservation.
What is the K.G Balakrishna Commission?
In 2022, the Union Government appointed a commission headed by ex-Chief Justice of India (CJI), K.G Balakrishna, to discuss whether “new persons who have historically belonged to the Scheduled Castes’’, but have converted to religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism be given the SC status.
The three members commission also includes retired IAS officer Dr Ravinder Kumar Jain and UGC member Prof (Dr) Sushma Yadav.
The Commission is examining the changes the SC person goes through once they change their religion and if there is an improvement in their status.
Read more:- Zaigham Murtaza’s ‘Policenama’ is a Must Read
Have there been other efforts in this regard in the past?
Two important committees have discussed this issue in the past- the Ranganath Misra Commission and the Sachar Commission.
The Ranganath Misra Commission in its report in 2007 said that the SC status should be made religion-neutral like Scheduled Tribes and be delinked from religion.
The Sachar Commission in its report in 2005 had found that there was no improvement in the status of Muslim and Christian Dalits.
With the discussion on this subject being live again, it remains to be seen what the K.G Balakrishna Commission has to say. The commission is expected to finish its perusal in two years and make a report by then.
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