Bhopal: After Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation row and Karni Sena's anti-reservation protest last week, resentment is brewing among two lakh Schedule Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) government employees in the election year.

The AJJAKS, a union of Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribe Employees, on Sunday announced to hold a massive rally (SC/ST Samagam) on February 26 in Bhopal against Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government.

The decision to hold the rally was taken in a meeting of block presidents, and office bearers of the union held on Sunday at Bhopal's Ravindra Bhawan.

Speaking to Newsclick, General Secretary of AJJAKS, SL Suryavanshi, said, "The promises chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made on June 12, 2016, to the employees of reserved community in a public rally are still unfulfilled. He promised reservations in all government hirings, reservations in promotions, hiring on backlog reserved seats and others. On his direction, the General Administrative Department framed rules for reservations in promotions and a roaster system in 2017, but he didn't intend to implement it. It has been six years since."

"Chief minister Chouhan is compelled to fulfil the promises he made publicly," he lamented.

"The reservation in Health, Finance, Co-operative Departments, District Courts and government medical colleges has been revoked. Besides, there is no reservation for outsourced employees. Every provision of the Reservation Act 1994 is being violated by this government."

"Not just that," He further said, "The constitutional rights of the SC/ST community are being stripped away. They are facing discrimination on postings and mental harassment at workplaces."

CM Chouhan's announcement on June 12, 2016, is significant in many ways. It was the same public rally where CM Chouhan made "Jab Tak Mai Hu, Koi Mai Ka Laal Reservation Khatam Nahi Kar Sakta...." to end the suspension over the reservation of the SC/ST Community. But it upsets the general category voters who allegedly voted against the BJP in the 2018 elections and drove out the saffron party from the state.

The office bearers of AJJAKS claimed that they had submitted memorandums at the block and district levels. "If our demands are not met by January 29, we will hold a rally on February 26 in Bhopal to ring the last alarm to the ruling government," said Vinod Singh Batti, Bhopal district president, AJJAKS to NewsClick.

When asked the reasons for CM Chouhan's reluctance to deliver the promises, he explained, "Leaders and officials of upper castes have deluded him that this move can backfire and can enrage the voters of the general category again, which is not true."

Facing flak from the voters of the Rajput community for his 2016 'Mai Ka Laal' remark, chief minister Chouhan on January 5, 2023, announced a government holiday to mark the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap, construction of a memorial after queen Padmavati, withdrawal of cases lodged against members of the Rajput community during the protest of film Padmavat, a hostel for the poor upper-class students, rebate in examination fee for upper-class students on the lines of SCs/STs and others.

He made the announcement when Karni Sena announced to protest against the government on January 8 at Bhopal's Jamboree Maidan.

Not just that, Chief Minister Chouhan also laid the foundation stone of the Padmavati memorial the same day. Yet, a section of Karni Sena broke apart and decided to protest at Jamboree Maidan as per the decided schedule of January 8, 2023.

The Karni Sena is a well-known right-wing organisation backed by the BJP. The organisation came to light in 2017 during the agitation of the Hindi film Padmavat produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

With 21 demands, under the banner of Karni Sena Pariwar Sarva Samaj led by one Jeevan Singh Sherpur of Ratlam, launched an intense protest at Bhopal's Jamboree Maidan from the night of January 7.

They were demanding a law for the protection of interests of the general category and OBC persons on the lines of the SC/ST Act, age relaxation in recruitments to general category students, not increasing the retirement age of government employees, early recruitments on vacant posts, relaxation of criteria in EWS quota, retracting of cases against Karni Sena members who participated in agitation against movie Padmavat and in farmers' agitation.

The BJP, which has already been facing allegations of being anti-reservation, the 'softness' of the government with the agitating Karni Sena members added fuel to the fire.

Commenting over the Karni Sena's recent protest, SL Suryavanshi said, "The BJP government, which quelled the OBC reservation protests with an iron hand, offered juice, food and protection to the protestors for days who openly abused CM Chouhan' deceased mother and spoke against the constitution."

Justifying his demands, he further said that Karni Sena's demand is not only unconstitutional but irrational. "The reservation has been granted based on social inequality, caste-based discrimination, not based on financial condition."

The financial status of the person does not improve the caste discrimination in society, he said.

"Those advocating for the reservation on the economic background should first guarantee the end of caste-based discrimination. Can they do it?" he lamented.

According to the 2011 census, Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 37 % of the population. Both communities have over two lakh government employees who have sway over the 10 lakh voters.

Courtesy: Newsclick