http://www.countercurrents.org/reddy240710.htmEmpowerment Strategies: Private Reservations For Dalits
By Dr. K. Vidyasagar Reddy
24 July, 2010
Countercurrents.org
Main intention of the reservation policy was to assure empowerment of
Dalits, who constitute around 16 percent of Indian population, were
disempowered from times immemorial. Thus, the policy can be considered
just as an inclusive one that ensures social representation in
education and employment. In the case of employment, both the sectors,
public and private were essential in securing empowerment of dalits.
The private sector that attracts around 90% of the job market was left
free from state control. As part of constitutional obligation, the
reservation strategy was restricted only to the public sector. Even
these reservations were never implemented beyond 10 percent in the
middle category of posts. Upper casteist bureaucracy on the one hand
and lack of will on the part of political leadership on the other hand
were responsible for sabotage from 'within' for this failure. Thus,
thousands of such posts were kept on vacant year after year for want
of 'able' candidates. In consequence, these reservations were being
renewed decade after decade.
Reservations and Globalisation
Thanks to the Nehruvian policy of mixed economy, the private sector
was given a favourable treatment, whereby the public sector suffered
setbacks. Initially, the Industrial Act of 1948 reserved a mere 18
sectors into public domain, leaving the rest to the private sector.
Over a period of time, the Public sector was constrained with just
half a dozen units in its purview. The Private sector became so potent
that it dictated terms to the government. Obviously, the private
sector that employs around 90 percent of work force in the country was
under no obligation to employ dalits. Meanwhile, several studies
referred by Prof.Sukhdev Thorat on Labour Market reveal that
insignificant percentage of these communities was employed, while
excluding large majority of them by way of social discrimination.
Incidentally, the Government of India having recognised the severity
of the Dalit problem made a few attempts to get to the bottom of it by
offering the reservation facilities in the private sector in 1965. Not
much support was gathered on the subject. Meanwhile, thanks to
political turmoil in the country, in the wake of Indira Gandhi
capturing political power, a new look approach prevailed in the
governance. Following her success in the Bangladesh war, Indira
Gandhi-led government tried to proceed on the Private reservations in
1972, but in vain as her leftist image required a focus more on class,
than on caste issues. What followed thereafter was the phase of
Emergency rule in the country.
In the meantime, following globalisation, the state pursued such
economic policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation,
whereby public sector became sick. Unlike others, the dalits cannot
put up with the pace and process of privatisation. Their survival and
development is depended upon the state support. However, if the state
withdraws such support and removes certain employees, then one can
imagine the plight of marginalised communities. According to a Report
of Working Group (10th Five year Plan, Planning Commission) on
Empowering of SCs, 1,13,450 dalits lost their jobs due to the LPG
policies in 1992-97, in the Central Government (Public Sector) alone.
Then one can imagine the fate of those SC employees working in the
State governments' Public sector units.
The globalisation phenomenon further excluded those who could not
afford quality education in the corporate institutions. That was a
time when the issue of caste discrimination was taken up, on par with
the racial discrimination, at the World Conference in 2001 at Durban,
South Africa. At the national level too, there were some attempts to
raise the issue of reservations in private sector at Bhopal and other
places. Similarly, the SKShinde-led Maharashtra government, tried to
implement the same but failed, due to protest from the business
lobbies. In any case, this concept of private reservation cannot be
considered as charity, but a right from a government that promoted the
private sector at the cost of public sector. Obviously, over a period
of time these physical benefits have instilled some confidence in
Dalits. Besides economic benefits, political reservations have also
helped them to occupy the positions of power at all levels.
UPA Promise and BSP Initiative
Ever since the previous (2004-9) United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
Government at the Centre promised to introduce job reservations in the
private sector, there were a few discordant reactions from some elite
and non-political quarters. In fact, as part of its Common Minimum
Programme (CMP), the Congress-led political coalition provided this
measure in the election manifesto way back in 2003 itself. Meanwhile,
the UPA promise (private reservations) has created many a controversy
on the subject. Incidentally, there arose some reservation critics
from different quarters. Although undeclared reservations to certain
privileged communities (upper castes) were never done away with, the
defenders of 'merit' were making hue and cry on the concept of
reservations in the private sector. As usual, a section of media has
persistently been prejudiced against the downtrodden and dalit
communities in this country. At last, there emerged some political
consensus, following apparent attempts from several Ambedkar
organizations and Dalit-based parties.
Meanwhile, within a decade of its existence, the Bahujan Samaj Party
became a third largest national party, having its strong base in the
state of Uttar Pradesh. By the year 2007, Mayawatiji, a dalit herself,
became the chief minister (fourth time) on her own! More than what she
achieved as the alternative power centre in the country, created
confidence among the Dalits in the state and outside. Mayawatiji had
not only promised the reservations in private sector, but also
implemented them in a big way. Besides dalits, backward classes (BCs)
and the economically backward communities (EBCs) were also offered
private reservations in the state. Her strategy towards the private
sector was that it should provide reservations to these marginalised
communities, as the private sector was getting the benefit of
government concessions in the establishing of industries and ventures.
To conclude, the Dalits have been discriminated by those upper castes
who were at the helm of affairs. It is only after a couple of decades
of independence, that they were encouraged to use their constitutional
rights. But then, they were denied any job opportunities in the
private sector that was gaining strength over a period of time. The
situation became very precarious in the wake of globalisation and
privatisation. Meanwhile, the demand for private reservation attracted
the attention of policymakers in several states and the Central
government. However, thanks to coalition era, major political parties
had to concede the demand. While the emergence of BSP provided an
occasion to the UPA regime to initiate the process of law-making on
the subject, the BSP government set an example by way of implementing
the policy in the state of Uttar Pradesh. This policy seems to be the
most appropriate strategy that could empower those Dalits who are
denied sufficient jobs in the public sector.
*Research Associate @ Centre for Advanced Study, Dept. Of Political
Science, Osmania University, Hyderabad-7; kvidyasagarr@gmail.com
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