Bhim Army supporters block railway tracks in support of the Bharat Bandh call over the recent Supreme Court ruling on SC/ST reservations, in Arrah, Bihar on Wednesday (August 21, 2024).
| Photo Credit: PTI
A nationwide bandh was called by Dalit and Adivasi organisations against the recent verdict by the apex court, which held that States have a right to sub-classify Scheduled Castes notified in the Presidential List to provide them “more” preferential treatment in public employment and education. They have called for a ‘Bharat Bandh’ on Wednesday (August 21, 2024) over their demand for stronger representation and protection for marginalised communities.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal on Tuesday (August 20, 2024) announced that they would extend support to the Bharat Bandh call given by various organisations on Wednesday in response to the Supreme Court’s recent verdict on Scheduled Caste (SC) reservations. Left parties also backed the call for the strike. The Bahujan Samaj Party also extended support.
Which States would be impacted the most?
States including Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala are expected to be impacted the most because of the bandh.
A collective of various Adivasi-Dalit organisations will organise a Statewide hartal in Kerala on Wednesday in protest against the Supreme Court ruling. However, Wayanad district has been exempted from the hartal in view of the recent landslide disaster.
The Bandh is also expected to impact the Odisha Indian Mens Hockey Team road show and felicitation in Bhubaneswar.
What’s open and what’s closed?
There is no official announcement as to what services will be open and closed. Transport services in the above States could be impacted, owing to the protests and sit-ins across these States. Security has been bolstered at key locations across States to prevent any untoward incidents.
Emergency services including hospitals and banks would remain functional. There is no government notification on the closure of banks and other government-related institutions.
Schools and colleges are also expected to run normally. In Jharkhand, several public buses stayed off the roads and schools remained closed. Schools remain closed in Ranchi and most parts of the State, while several long-route public buses were seen parked at bus stands, inconveniencing commuters.
The Madhya Pradesh home department has directed the collectors and superintendents of police (SPs) of all districts in the State to take necessary steps to maintain law and order situation during the day-long bandh.
Why is Bharat Bandh being observed today?
A seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, in a majority judgment on August 1, held that States have a right to sub-classify Scheduled Castes notified in the Presidential List with an objective to provide them ”more” preferential treatment in public employment and education.
Four of the seven judges on the Bench separately said the government should extend the “creamy layer principle” to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, like in the case of Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. It was necessary to exclude the affluent individuals or families from the benefits of reservation and make room for the really underprivileged within these classes.
Why has the Supreme Court upheld States’ right to sub-categorise SCs for quota benefits? | Explained
The ruling is likely to give impetus to States like Punjab, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu which have previously attempted to introduce separate reservations within the SC/ST categories. For instance, in an election rally in Telangana last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to constitute a committee to look into the issue — a move that has been read as an attempt by the BJP to woo the Madiga community. The Madigas have claimed that their share of representation was being taken up by another SC community, the Malas. It is also likely to strengthen the Opposition’s demand for a caste census to ascertain the share of different groups in the reservation pie.
Observations by Supreme Court judges on August 1 calling for carving out a “creamy layer” to be excluded from the Scheduled Caste (SC) quota for jobs and education caused widespread confusion among large sections of vocal Dalit communities across the country over what such a “creamy layer” could look like for SCs.
How many parties have supported the Bandh call?
Twenty-one organisations across the country have called for the Bharat Bandh against the Supreme Court’s August 1 decision on the issue of SC-ST reservation.
The Bahujan Samaj Party on Wednesday extended support to the day-long Bharat Bandh. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday backed the Bandh, noting that “public movements” put a check on “unbridled government”.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal on Tuesday announced that they would extend support to the Bharat Bandh. Left parties also backed the call for the strike. JMM has asked its all leaders, district presidents, secretaries and district coordinators to actively participate in the 14-hour nationwide strike and extend their support. RJD state general secretary and media in-charge Kailash Yadav said that the party has decided to extend its support and participate in the day-long strike. State Congress spokesperson Rakesh Sinha also said that the party has also extended support to the bandh call.
