The agitation, which is planned to be on a scale as widespread as the April 2 Bharat bandh, is slated for August. (representational image)
The matter of lateral recruitment to senior bureaucratic posts will now be added to the number of issues against which Dalit rights activists are gearing up for a nationwide agitation in August. The agitation, which is planned to be on a scale as widespread as the April 2 Bharat bandh, is slated for August if the government fails to bring in an ordinance to safeguard the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the organisers have announced.
Ashok Bharti from the National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations called the government’s recent move to allow lateral entry in several ministries at the joint secretary level a ploy to bring in “politically committed bureaucracy in the government”.
He said, “All direct recruitment should have the requisite reservation for candidates from SC, ST and OBC. This advertisement makes no such mention. The joint secretary level is the fundamental node of policy-making, and allowing lateral entry at that level would mean meddling with every important issue.”
Bharti said that despite assurances from Cabinet ministers, the Department of Personnel and Training has failed to issue any official order yet for implementation of the recent court order on allowing reservation in promotions.
The national coalition of various SC/ST groups have set a deadline of July 31 for the Central government to bring in a Bill to safeguard the Prevention of Atrocities Act during the Monsoon Session of Parliament or an ordinance before or soon after the session.
V A Ramesh Nathan, general secretary of the National Commission for Dalit Human Rights, said, “We have met ministers Thaawarchand Gehlot, Ramdas Athawale, and Ram Vilas Paswan. They have assured us that an ordinance will be brought in. We plan to meet the 133 SC/ST Parliamentarians to build pressure on the government on this and several other issues concerning Dalit and Adivasi rights.”
Anti-reservation groups plan to protest against the recent court order on reservation in promotion by observing June 17 as ‘Black Day’, since on this day, 23 years ago, “Parliament promulgated 77th Constitutional amendment to provide for reservation in promotion”, according to a statement issued by the Delhi Equality Forum.
The group has said that the ruling will “incapacitate the general and OBC categories of government employees” and a nationwide bandh will be held if the government does not take any “corrective action”.