Dalit & Adivasi Groups Announce Bharat Bandh, What Are their Key Demands?

On the backdrop of the Supreme Court Ruling regarding the sub-categorization of quotas of  Scheduled Castes (SCs) & Scheduled Tribes (STs)  groups,  Dalit and Adivasi organizations called for a peaceful nationwide strike, or Bharat Bandh on Wednesday.

What Are Their Demands?

The strike or Bharat Bandh called by the National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations (NACDAOR), which opposes the Supreme Court ruling as it undermines the Indira Sawhney case’s framework for reservations.

As per lists released by NACDAOR, it demands social justice and equitable representation for these communities in employment and education.

It is also urging the government to reject the Supreme Court’s judgment and to enact a new central law protected from judicial review under the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, despite past rulings that such protection does not prevent judicial scrutiny.

Lastly, the organization has also demanded the immediate release of caste-based data on SC/ST/OBC employees in government services to ensure accurate representation. In addition, it also demands that all backlog vacancies in central and state government departments, as well as public sector undertakings, be filled.

Further, it calls for private sector companies benefiting from government subsidies to implement affirmative action policies.

Moreover, the organization has encouraged all OBC and SC/ST groups to participate peacefully in large numbers.

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Will Basic Services Be Affected?

Currently, emergency services, including hospitals, ambulances, and medical facilities, will remain operational. So far, there is no official information regarding the closure of banks, government offices, and educational institutions.

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Earlier on August 1, a seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud ruled by a 6:1 majority declared, that states could further sub-classify SCs and STs to allocate quotas for more backward castes within these groups.