Bihar: Handful of castes avail 90 per cent of reservation benefits, says Manjhi as he supports sub categorisation

As Bharat Band called by a number of Dalit and Adivasi groups against the Supreme Court’s order allowing sub categorisation within Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes received a mix response across the country, voices dissenting against the bandh have also come out in the open throwing their weight behind the apex court’s verdict.

A significant announcement in this regard has come from Bihar’s capital Patna where the former Chief Minister of the state Jitan Ram Manjhi has extended his support to the proposed sub categorisation.

A popular face of the Mushar caste , considered the most backward among the Dalit community in Bihar, the Hindustan Awami Morcha supremo, Manjhi in a video message posted on X thanked the apex court for the verdict on sub categorisation in the SC, ST category.

“We would like to thank the apex court that sensing the seriousness of time it has passed an order on sub-categorisation within us. Even in a family when the brothers find it difficult to leave together they equally distribute the resources and then live peacefully. We also want a similar arrangement,” said Manjhi.

The court has also said that sub-categorisation should be done. The society which couldn’t develop even after 76 years should be dealt separately. Those who have become doctors, engineers, civil servants, ambassadors etc. by availing 90 per cent of the reservation benefits provided to the SC community are from handful of 4-5 castes, rest of the 18 castes from the SC community in Bihar have only managed to avail only 5-7 per cent of reservation benefits,” said Manjhi.

This is anything but justice, those elements who have called for a bandh today are selfish people, the Bandh called today was immoral and the people who called it should introspect about it, emphasised Manjhi further while adding that the big brother does not want the welfare of the younger one.

“भारत बंद” करने वालें स्वार्थी तत्व हैं,वैसे तो वो हमारे बड़े भाई हैं पर वो नहीं चाहते हैं कि छोटे भाई की भलाई हो,हम SC को धन्यवाद देते हैं जिन्होंने वर्गीकरण की बात की। pic.twitter.com/xjjsAPkA0g

— Jitan Ram Manjhi (@jitanrmanjhi) August 21, 2024

Notably, Manjhi’s remarks have come on the heels of his participation in a program organised by Vanchit SC-ST Morcha demanding implementation of the apex court verdict on sub categorisation in Patna.

Other than Manjhi, senior leader and  Member of parliament (MP) of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), Kirori Lal Meena, on Tuesday also came out in the support of SC’s verdict.  “On a personal level I am with the emotion of Supreme Court, he said while interacting with the media persons.

Significantly, echoing similar demands on the issue a tribal body of Rajasthan’s Jodhpur also submitted a memorandum in support of the proposed sub categorisation citing that the Bheel community have only availed 5-7 per cent reservation benefits provided to the ST category while around 90-93 per cent benefits of the reservation provided to the community have been cornered by a particular caste among the ST’s.

In the memorandum submitted a day before the Bharat Bandh, the tribal body has urged that due to certain, educational, economic and political and other adverse circumstances the community has deprived from its rightful participation in public employment and the verdict of apex court has proved this right.

It is worth mentioning here that following the apex court order the Union Government has already clarified that the provisions linked to creamy layer and sub categorisation within the SC and ST community will not be implemented.

Though despite this a number of groups observed a Bharat Band on Wednesday August 21 which also fetched supported from a few political parties including the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Chirag Paswan led fraction of LJP.

Mob tries to set school bus on fire

Notably the Bandh called on Wednesday received a mix response across the country with a few sporadic incidents of emergence of law and order situation at a few places.

In Gopalganj district of Bihar, a mob of protestors allegedly tried to set a school bus on fire with children on-board during the one-day shutdown call. A video of the incident has also gone viral on the internet where a few people could be seen obstructing the way of the school bus.

However, the police personnel deployed on the spot soon makes a way for the school bus. It’s been reported that the police have identified a few individuals who were involved in the act and action is being taken.

आज दिनांक 21.08.24 को कतिपय संगठनों द्वारा किये गए भारत बंद के आह्वान पर पटना पुलिस द्वारा की गई निरोधात्मक कार्रवाई के संबंध में प्रेस विज्ञप्ति :-@dm_patna @bihar_police pic.twitter.com/ZJUTNEfPh4

— Patna Police (@PatnaPolice24x7) August 21, 2024

In capital Patna, mob supporting the Bandh tried to obstruct intercommunication services at separate places following which police resorted to baton-charge. According to the details shared by the police two separate FIRs against a total of 46 individuals along with around 300 unknowns have been registered by the police.

Similar visuals also emerged from other cities of Bihar as well where inter-communication services including train routes have been obstructed by the protestors.