Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi – BJP allies and cabinet ministers in the NDA-led government at the Centre – have demanded each other’s resignation on the issue of reservation amid a debate going around in the country calling for reforms in the quota policy.
The latest flashpoint over the issue of reservation is between NDA allies that erupted after Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) chief and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s son Santosh Kumar Suman called for a review of the reservation policy, backing sub-categorization of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
In a statement, Suman said, “I think the purpose of reservation has not been served. The concept of creating the Mahadalit category with 18 of the 22 Dalit caste groups has been defeated due to the wide gap among the beneficiaries. The Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) category was created out of the other backward castes (OBCs), and the same was true for the concept of economically weaker sections (EWS) among the upper castes,” Suman had said.
Speaking further, he said, “How can it be wrong to ask which sections have benefited from reservation and to what extent, and which people standing at the very bottom of the social ladder remain deprived of it? Why is no DM or SP from the Musahar community, which has a 4 percent population in Bihar? A comparative study is needed. Why will one section get 8 percent and another 80 percent among the beneficiaries?”
Hitting back at Jitan Ram Manjhi and his son Santosh Suman, Chirag Paswan said that if they so want the sub-categorization in the quota policy, then they should resign first.
“We have clearly stated that since its very basis lies in social factors and discrimination, discussing it from an economic perspective goes against the Constitution. Yet, those expressing concern today are the very people the country gave ample opportunity to for a long time after independence. How can they now claim that discrimination persists in society?… If discrimination continued in society despite this, it implies that they, too, failed to strengthen the foundations effectively… If the constitutional basis is to be changed, then change the Constitution; let everyone come to the floor of the Lok Sabha and do it… The basis is social—specifically, the issue of untouchability within society. I am not talking about reservations for the ‘upper’ sections; I am talking about providing reservations to people from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes,” Paswan said.
Responding to peoples’ queries on “Why isn’t there a ‘creamy layer’ provision?”, Chirag Paswan said, “Well, let them give it up, then – let them stop availing the benefits of reservation… If Jitan Ram Manjhi feels these measures should be implemented, should he not resign first? Let him introduce the ‘creamy layer’ concept – after all, he would fall under that category too, wouldn’t he? He should resign, and his son – who is present here – should resign as well…”