Advocate K A Balan, Union Government Counsel at the Kerala High Court and a prominent Dalit leader has said that the Modi Government has played an important role in protecting the interests of the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST). Balan contends that the stance articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is entirely accurate. He was referring to Modi’s assertion that Sonia Gandhi, upon assuming the presidency of the Congress Party, pursued a policy of appeasing minorities. Balan further elucidated that the Congress Party instigated efforts to extend Other Backward Classes (OBC), Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC), SC, and ST reservations to individuals who adopted Christianity and Islam. This, he emphasised, was a manifestation of the Congress Party’s strategy of minority appeasement.
Throughout the tenures of Prime Ministers from Jawaharlal Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi, there was consistent opposition to the demand by minorities for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservations to be extended to converted Christians and Muslims. However, during the premiership of Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, the Government introduced a bill concerning this matter in the Lok Sabha. Fortunately, Speaker Sivaraj Patil, the then Speaker, declined permission for the bill’s presentation, citing technical reasons. This incident occurred on the final day of the last session of the House.
The subsequent day, the Government revised the draft, transforming it into an Ordinance, and presented it to then-President Dr. Sankar Dayal Sharma for promulgation. However, Dr. Sankar Dayal Sharma returned it unsigned, asserting that the bill did not warrant emergency action. Instead, he advised that it be introduced as a Bill in the next session of the Lok Sabha. Fortunately for Dalits, the Congress and its coalition partners suffered electoral defeat, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious. Atal Behari Vajpayee assumed the role of Prime Minister. Notably, minority communities did not press for this reservation until after Atal Behari Vajpayee stepped down following the parliamentary elections of 2004.
Lobbying efforts for conversion and proselytisation gained significant influence and authority. At the direction of the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, a commission chaired by Justice Ranganath Mishra, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Bharat, was appointed. Notably, Justice Mishra had been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the UPA apparatus led by Sonia. Subsequently, the Commission produced a report tailored to meet Sonia’s expectations and presented it to the Union Government.
The Ranganath Mishra Commission report stated that nearly all castes present in Hinduism also exist within Christianity and Islam in Bharat, and individuals belonging to these castes face insults, discrimination, and humiliation within these religions. Consequently, the Commission recommended that these individuals should be entitled to reservations similar to those enjoyed by corresponding groups in Hinduism. The UPA Government endorsed these recommendations, with parties such as the CPM, CPI, DMK, and BSP advocating for their implementation. However, the recommendations faced opposition solely from the BJP and its allied parties.
The Commission report was submitted to the Supreme Court under SP (C) No. 180/2004. The implementation of the report is contingent upon the Court’s decision, and as of now, the case remains pending.
The Modi Government rejected the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission Report. Instead, the Government has established a three-member Judicial Commission, led by Justice K G Balakrishnan, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Bharat. The Union Government has tasked this Commission with studying the matter and submitting a comprehensive report. The Commission has commenced the process of gathering data for this purpose.
CBCI, the Organisation of Protestant Bishops, and some Muslim organisations have moved the Supreme Court to implement Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission reports. In this regard, they demand an amendment to The Constitution Scheduled Castes Order 1950.
Adv Balan says that he is one of the lawyers who appear in the Supreme Court for the Hindu Organisations which oppose WP(C) No. 180/2004 as the defendants. He says, he sincerely says, as a lawyer who has been dealing with these cases since 2004, that if the Modi Government had not taken over in 2014, Muslims and Christians would have grabbed the SC ST reservations. If the Modi Government does not come back in 2024, the proselytisation and conversion lobbies will snatch the reservations of SC ST and OBC/SEBC communities belonging to Hinduism. With respect to reservation matters, LDF, UDF and I.N.D.I Alliance are against the interests of backward Hindu communities and SC/ST sections.
Adv Balan’s articles tell the SC ST people that BJP and NDA are the only trustworthy friends for them in connection with reservation matters. He said the so-called caste Hindus who oppose caste reservations should actually oppose awarding the SC reservations to Christians and Muslims. This is what I.N.D.I Alliance intends to do. SC ST sections should also oppose this design. I.N.D.I Alliance’s goal is to weaken Hindu society by expanding proselytisation through the distorted reservation. They have a set goal: Field the followers of minority religions in 131 out of 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, in 1000 out of 4123 assembly constituencies and about seven lakhs of local self-governing bodies and, thereby giving the ruling power to minorities who constitute 20 per cent of the population.
Advocate Balan concluded that it is high time for proud Hindus to unite, transcending political affiliations. He emphasises the importance of taking precautions to prevent future regrets.
