Vishwa Samvad Kendra (VSK), Gautam Buddha University (GBU) and ‘Hindu Vishwa’ fortnightly magazine jointly organized Conclave on ‘Conversion and Reservation (with reference to Justice KG Balakrishnan Commission)’ on March 4 and 5, 2023 . The event was organized at Gautam Buddha University Campus, Greater Noida.
VSK and GBU Justice K. Yes. Balakrishnan Commission had selected 17 subjects related to the terms of reference. The organizers called for papers on these topics, on which 60 legal and academic experts from across the country sent their articles.
Shri Narendra Jadhav, former Member of the Planning Commission and Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha was the chief guest of the inaugural function. Senior Advocate Mr. Alok Kumar and former Human Resource Development Minister of India, Prof. Sanjay Paswan was the keynote speaker.
The conclave was attended by over 150 persons, including former judges, serving and former vice-chancellors, deans, professors, journalists, advocates, columnists and educationists. The valedictory session was presided over by Padma Shri Milind Kamble, DICCI. VHP Joint General Secretary Shri Surendra Jain and Shri Justice Shiv Shankar Rao Bulusu (Retd) were the keynote speakers of the valedictory session.
The Conclave unanimously reiterated that the reservation for the Scheduled Castes would continue. The basis of selection of caste in the schedule is social, educational and economic backwardness. For the 1931 Census, the then Census Commissioner Dr. J.K. The questionnaire prepared by H. Hutton formed the basis for the determination of social backwardness. This included the following questions:
Those castes about whom upper caste people believed that they would be polluted by their touch or coming near?
Based on this, the state identified castes considered untouchable in Hindu society. This classification later became the basis for introducing Article 17 in the Constitution of India to abolish untouchability. Yet, the curse of social discrimination against the Scheduled Castes continues in various forms and levels.
Therefore, reservation should continue and be limited to castes considered untouchable in the past. The Abrahamic sects, i.e. Islam and Christianity declare that they have no caste system, hence, no practice of untouchability. Thus a Scheduled Caste person who converts to Islam or Christianity leaves behind social stigma and cannot be given reservation in the Scheduled Caste category.
Anyway, OBCs among Muslims and Christians enjoy the benefits of reservation in the respective quotas of different states. Other poor Muslims and Christians are entitled to reservation under EWS category. They also take advantage of various schemes for the development of minorities. Their institutions are protected under Article 30 of the Constitution of India. Minorities have also benefited from welfare schemes like free ration, housing, toilets, gas, electricity, tap water etc.
That’s why reservation for Scheduled Castes is irrevocable. Inclusion of any other caste or creed in the reservation list would dilute the constitutional spirit behind the reservation provisions. The VSK shall prepare a memorandum for submission to the Commission, request for a personal hearing and shall take all possible steps to place the facts before the Commission for a logical and just conclusion. VSK and ‘Hindu Vishwa’ will also organize such conclaves in different parts of the country to get more inputs and support.
