Rajya Sabha member and president of the National BC Welfare Association R. Krishnaiah issued a warning about potential rebellion if the backward classes (BCs) do not receive their fair share in jobs and legislative bodies.
Speaking at a meeting of 16 BC associations at BC Bhavan on Thursday, Mr. Krishnaiah expressed concern over growing economic disparities and social discrimination in the country.
“Despite 76 years of independence, the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen,” he said, highlighting the unfulfilled promises of a secular and socialist State as enshrined in the Constitution. Mr. Krishnaiah stressed the need for proportional representation for SCs, STs, and BCs in education, employment, finance, and politics, based on their population. He warned that failure to address these disparities could lead to unrest.
Criticizing the current government led by the NDA, he noted that although Prime Minister Narendra Modi belongs to a backward caste, the election manifesto of the BJP has not adequately addressed the development needs of the BCs, who constitute 70 crores of the country’s population. He demanded that BCs should be seen as stakeholders in the democratic process, not as beggars.
Mr. Krishnaiah called on the BJP to adopt a more favorable stance towards BCs, including implementing 50% reservation in legislatures, establishing a special ministry for BC welfare, and allocating an annual budget of ₹2 lakh crore for BC development. He also demanded the filling of 16 lakh vacant government jobs and warned against any actions that would deceive the BC community.
Recent government statistics reveal that the political representation of BCs has not exceeded 14% in the past 75 years. Mr. Krishnaiah highlighted the disparity, noting that while BCs form 56% of the population, their representation in politics, employment, and other sectors remains disproportionately low.
He criticized the lack of a population census based on caste, which he argued is essential for ensuring fair representation. The Supreme Court and High Courts have ordered the Central government to collect such data for the past 40 years, but no action has been taken.
He called for a constitutional amendment to ensure reservations for BCs in legislative bodies and promotions for BCs.
Published - May 16, 2024 09:14 pm IST
