11-12-2006, 02:46 PM
<!--emo&<_<--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dry.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='dry.gif' /><!--endemo--> Dalits stage dharna against SC order
[ 12 Nov, 2006 1644hrs ISTPTI ]
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PATNA: Dalits from all over Bihar on Sunday staged a day-long dharna in protest against the recent apex court ruling that the "creamy layer" from among SCs and STs should be excluded from reservation in government jobs.
Addressing the dharna staged under the banner of Bihar Anusuchit Jati and Janjati Coordination committee, RJD national General Secretary and MLA, Shyam Rajak and JD(U) MLA Lallan Paswan said, "We are not against the judiciary as being propagated ...We are just demanding a legislation in Parliament to include the Constitution's 77th, 81st, 82nd and 85th amendments in the Ninth schedule so that we can get our due".
Asserting that Parliament was the highest institution for formulating laws on policy matters, Rajak said, "The courts should refrain from issuing directives on policy matters," and added "we (legislators) do not want a confrontation with the judiciary".
Committee president and former Bihar Director General of Police G P Dohre said of a population of 100 crore, only 40 lakh SC and ST people were holding government jobs. Citing a comparative data, Dohre said while 90 per cent of upper caste people were engaged in agriculture, the percentage of SCs, STs and OBCs was limited to just 10 per cent in this sector. Similarly the percentage of this section of society in business was just 8 per cent.
"Itâs a travesty of justice that while 85.8 per cent of the total population was living in abject penury, 14.2 per cent of the population was enjoying all the benefits", he alleged.
About two dozen Dalit legislators cutting across party lines had marched in a procession to Rajbhawan on Saturday and had submitted a memorandum to governor R S Gavai against the recent Supreme Court order for exclusion of "creamy layer" from reservation in government jobs.
They said they would petition the president Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union minister and a senior Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan in this regard.
[ 12 Nov, 2006 1644hrs ISTPTI ]
RSS Feeds| SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
PATNA: Dalits from all over Bihar on Sunday staged a day-long dharna in protest against the recent apex court ruling that the "creamy layer" from among SCs and STs should be excluded from reservation in government jobs.
Addressing the dharna staged under the banner of Bihar Anusuchit Jati and Janjati Coordination committee, RJD national General Secretary and MLA, Shyam Rajak and JD(U) MLA Lallan Paswan said, "We are not against the judiciary as being propagated ...We are just demanding a legislation in Parliament to include the Constitution's 77th, 81st, 82nd and 85th amendments in the Ninth schedule so that we can get our due".
Asserting that Parliament was the highest institution for formulating laws on policy matters, Rajak said, "The courts should refrain from issuing directives on policy matters," and added "we (legislators) do not want a confrontation with the judiciary".
Committee president and former Bihar Director General of Police G P Dohre said of a population of 100 crore, only 40 lakh SC and ST people were holding government jobs. Citing a comparative data, Dohre said while 90 per cent of upper caste people were engaged in agriculture, the percentage of SCs, STs and OBCs was limited to just 10 per cent in this sector. Similarly the percentage of this section of society in business was just 8 per cent.
"Itâs a travesty of justice that while 85.8 per cent of the total population was living in abject penury, 14.2 per cent of the population was enjoying all the benefits", he alleged.
About two dozen Dalit legislators cutting across party lines had marched in a procession to Rajbhawan on Saturday and had submitted a memorandum to governor R S Gavai against the recent Supreme Court order for exclusion of "creamy layer" from reservation in government jobs.
They said they would petition the president Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union minister and a senior Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan in this regard.