Centre to study reservation for Christian, Muslim Dalits

The untouchables who converted to Christianity and Islam are not entitled to gain the benefits of affirmative action raises few question on the compensatory nature of reservation policy followed in India to wipe out the past injustice to these group.

Now the centre has decided to study the report of a commission which has looked at granting Scheduled Caste (SC) status to Dalit Christian so that they can avail the benefits of reservation.

•   E-mail Article
•   Printer Friendly
•   Text-Size    

Gopal Subramanian, Additional Solicitor General has asked for 8 weeks time to go through the report submitted by Justice Rangnath Mishra committee.

Though an NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) which earlier has filed a PIL opposed the move but the plea has been accepted by bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan. A senior advocate on behalf of NGO informed that the case has been pending since more than three years therefore the matter should be heard urgently.

“There is no urgency as the Presidential order of 1950 has been challenged. You have come after more than 54 years,” said, the Bench, also comprising Justices R V Raveendran and J M Panchal said.

Since, the Presidential Order 1950 (SC) has kept Muslim and Christian from SC status, which nullified them to take any benefits under reservation. The Order said that since there is no caste in Christian and Islam such status can not be conferred upon them.

But contrary to this the Order was amended twice to give SC status to Buddhist and Sikh which too did not have a caste structure.

Here the importance is that somewhere beneath the lines it is consented that mere changing one’s religion can change the social disability of a person which was not true practically.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes headed by Buta Singh headed by former minister has also recommended reservation for the Dalit converts into Christianity and Islam.