A bandh to protest the Supreme Court’s ‘quota within a quota’ decision about quota in state government jobs and colleges for SC and ST candidates was held in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and other states Wednesday.
The strike was called by two dozen Dalit and Adivasi groups – including the Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti – and backed by political parties, including Bihar’s Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Bahujan Samaj Party in Madhya Pradesh.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, various Left parties, and the Congress, which heads the INDIA opposition bloc (of which the JMM and RJD are members) are also in support.
There were clashes between protesters and the police in Patna; in a video posted on X by news agency ANI cops can be seen lathi charging and assaulting protesters on nearly-empty streets.
Ashok Kumar Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police, said, “It was not peaceful… they (the protesters) took law and order into their hands…People could not travel and we tried to convince them, but they did not understand. We had to use mild force to move them back…”
#WATCH | Bihar: Police lathi-charge people in Patna as they stage protest in support of a day-long Bharat Bandh against the Supreme Court’s recent judgment on reservations. pic.twitter.com/5jEMQiagJJ
— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2024
Elsewhere in Patna travellers were affected after protesters blocked tracks leading to delays for several trains, including the Darbhanga-New Delhi Sampark Kranti Superfast Express.
Members of the Bhim Army, holding posters and banners, even climbed on the train claiming a “conspiracy” to deprive SC and STs of rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution.
In Bihar’s Jehanabad, agitators blocked National Highway 83 – a crucial route that connects Patna to Gaya, disrupting normal life across several cities, including the state capital. Many were forced to walk long distances to reach their destination due to scarcity of public transport.
Many private schools in Patna remained closed. Some schools, which chose to remain open, had to deal with suspended bus services, adding to challenges for parents and students.
Police are on alert in Uttar Pradesh, including in Noida, which is adjacent to national capital Delhi and where forces have been deployed in large numbers.
#WATCH Lucknow: The ‘Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti’ are observing a day-long Bharat Bandh today to protest the Supreme Court’s recent judgment on reservations.
Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar says, “Extensive police force have been set up for the Bharat Bandh called by… pic.twitter.com/SBMzppoZVR
— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2024
UP top cop Prashant Kumar said, “The situation is under control in UP and no untoward incident has been reported… everyone has assured is there will be no disturbance of any kind… We want to assure the people of the state that law and order will not be allowed to deteriorate under any circumstances…”
In Jharkhand, protesters burned tires to mark their anger.
#WATCH | Jharkhand: The ‘Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti’ are observing a day-long Bharat Bandh today to protest the Supreme Court’s recent judgment on reservations.
(Visuals from Ranchi) pic.twitter.com/WNe1oYTES7
— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2024
Educational institutions in seven districts in Rajasthan – Jaipur, Alwar, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, Deeg, Jaisalmer, and Bharatpur – were shut for the day, while exams in Kota were postponed.
Congress leader Tika Ram Jully, Rajasthan’s Leader of the Opposition, has accused the ruling BJP of trying to “weaken” the reservation system.
Strict arrangements – including deployment of drones – have been made in Gwalior district ahead of a rally called for by the BSP and Bhim Sena. Senior cop Dharmaveer Singh said, “In view of the ‘Bharat Bandh’ police (have been) patrolling here 6 am (and) over 150 barricades were put up…”
Mr Singh said the protest would see a march by the political parties and include submission of a memorandum by them., after which the markets and shops could re-open. “There isn’t any call for market ‘bandh’. If anyone forcibly tries to close the market then action will be taken,” he said.
The bandh had no impact in Assam, where schools, offices, and business establishments functioned, with almost full attendance, across the state. Vehicular traffic was normal and long-distance buses operated according to their schedules. There were also no disruptions to railway services.
Seen as one of the groups leading this protest, the National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations, or NACDAOR, has demanded “justice and equity for SCs, STs, and OBCs”, in the light of a verdict that protesters believe runs counter to the landmark Indira Sawhney case.
The 1992 case had established the framework for reservations in India.
READ | “Scheduled Castes Socially Heterogenous Class”: Top Court’s Quota Order
On August 1, a seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud held, by a 6:1 majority, that states are empowered to make sub-classifications within SCs and STs to grant smaller quotas within the larger reservation for reserved categories to uplift the more underprivileged sections. “Historical and empirical evidence demonstrates SCs are a socially heterogenous class,” the Chief Justice said.
READ | “Policy To Identify Creamy Layer Must”: Big Remark In Quota Ruling
The NACDAOR has urged the government to reject the Supreme Court’s judgment, arguing it threatens SCs and STs’ constitutional rights. It is also calling for a new law to guarantee reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs by including grant of such quotas in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
READ | On Top Court’s SC/ST Sub-Classification Order, BJP Ally’s Big Declaration
The Supreme Court’s big order sparked a predictable row and some eyebrow-raising comments, including one by the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), which is an ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP. LJP leader Chirag Paswan, a Union Minister, declared the basis for classification of SCs is ‘untouchability’ and that had not been mentioned by the court. He said his party will seek a review.
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