New Delhi: Lakhs of Dalit and Adivasi employees across the country will assemble at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on 10 December 2007. From there they will proceed to Parliament Street and gherao Parliament in protest against the Central Government’s failure to fulfil its promises.  

In a press release issued in New Delhi on 21 November 2007, Udit Raj, Chairman of the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations, said a rally also would be held on 11 December 2007. He said Congress President Sonia Gandhi, in response to their Charter of Demands, had assured them that a Reservation Act would be enacted and backlog vacancies filled up but nothing had been done in this respect.

In 2004, when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government came into power under the leadership of the Congress, these issues were included in the Common Minimum Programme. When pressure was built by the Confederation on the UPA Government for enacting a law for reservation of posts for Dalits in the Private Sector, a Committee constituted by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) under the chairmanship of JJ Irani made some suggestions in this regard so that CII and the Government could get an excuse for not enacting a law for this purpose. “If the corporate houses are really sincere about reservation in the private sector, they have nothing to fear from the Government's intention to enact a law for this purpose,” he said.

Udit Raj said the Prime Minister assured in December 2005 that backlog vacancies would be filled up but these assurances continued to remain only on paper till date.  In 2004, a reservation bill was presented in the winter session of Parliament but the Reservation Act could not come into existence for the reason that the Nachiappan Committee's recommendations had not been received. If Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi were really interested, the report could be obtained in no time and the Reservation Act could also been acted. Reservations could not be enforced effectively in the absence of a suitable law in position.

Now the judiciary had been repeatedly giving anti-reservation judgements, he said. The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admissions) Act, 2007 was passed by Parliament but the Supreme Court created some obstacles. A similar situation was created in the past on account of which five anti-reservation orders were issued in 1997, he added. 

Udit Raj said a demand would be raised at the rally that there should be reservations for Dalits and Adivasis in the higher judiciary. Non-distribution of fallow land, vacant land and illegally usurped land by the landlords had rendered millions of people landless. “This issue will also be raised so that there should be equitable distribution of land,” he said.

Under the pressure of the Janaesh rally, a committee under the Chairmanship of Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad had been asked to give its recommendations immediately to the Prime Minister so that the Land Reforms Law could be introduced in the country. Contract system was being increasingly introduced for Safai Karamcharis, due to which they were being exploited, he said.

Udit Raj said this should be stopped immediately and there should be time-bound
promotions. The anti-reservation order dated 2.7.1997 had so far not been withdrawn.
This should also be taken back without any delay. “As it is done in the United States, the principle of diversity should be introduced in India too. The Government makes purchases from the deprived classes and the Blacks in proportion to their population. As a result their participation in the industry, business, finance and export-import has been ensured but in our country, this has not been done for Dalits so far. On the basis of fake caste certificates, non-Dalits and non-tribals are taking advantage of reservation. And knowingly, the bureaucrats are protecting such elements, he alleged.

Udit Raj demanded that persons who are working on the basis of such fake certificates be identified and stern action taken against them. Adverse confidential reports are given to employees on caste lines on account of which Dalit/Adivasi employees and officers are deprived of their promotion. In view of this, the confidential report system should be made transparent. “If the Government does not concede the demands of the Confederation immediately, it will meet with the fate that happened to the BJP Government in 2004,” he warned.