Amid slogans of Jai Bhim and Baba saheb zindabad leaders representing various organisations of SC/ST/OBC minced no words in venting out their angst against sawarnas (upper castes community members) at the joint convention of SC/ST/OBC organised at BHEL Dussehara in Bhopal on Sunday. During their address in the marathon daylong session the leaders challenged the upper caste candidates to win the Lok Sabha and assembly polls without support of SC/ST and OBC votes. They even targeted politicians and spiritual leaders by names. However, office bearers of the organisations, spoke cautiously and focused only on the issue of jobs.
The leaders said that members of SC/ST/OBC communities will not allow sawarnas to enter temples of democracy like Parliament, Assembly and others just the way sawarnas (upper castes) bar the members of backward castes from entering temples (religious), even after 70 years of independence. Targeting the upper castes leaders by names a leader Mahendra of Sagar said in his address, “This time, FM Jayant Mallaya will not win from Damoh. Gopal Bhargava, Mukesh Nayak and Govind Rajput too will not win as sc/st/obc will not vote for them. We will ensure that no upper caste candidates should be elected to Lok Sabha and assembly elections.”
Similarly, others leaders, in their speech, cornered spiritual leaders like Devakinandan Thakur for supporting Supreme Court intervention in SC/ST Act. They said that they will marginalise upper castes in society at all levels as SC/ST/OBC make up 85 per cent of the population. One Lokendra Gurjar of Gwalior raised slogan- vote hamara rajya hamara (our votes will ensure power for us and not for upper caste).
Population based reservation
MP Anusuchit Jati- Janjati Adhikari Evam Karmachari Sangh (AJJAKS) SL Suryavanshi said, “Backlog post should be filled. OBC is given 14 per cent reservation in MP. We are united. Reservation should be ensured on the basis of population in India.” Anusuchit Jati, Anusuchit Janjati, Pichra Varg Avam Alpsankhyak Adhikari, Karmachari Sangathan (APAKS) Bhuvanesh Patel said, “are 2 lakh backlog posts should be filled up before imposition of model code of conduct in MP. Reservation in promotion should be ensured. Similar kind of reservation should be granted in judiciary for the justice.”
Political front needed not slogans
Taking a dig on slogans like- No vote to swaran candidates, Retired IFS Officer Azad Singh Dabbas, who belong to OBC, said, “Only raising slogans will not serve purpose. It is good that sc/st and obc are united but there must be political front or outfit to lead the major chunk of society (85 per cent population wise). So within a week, Political front will take shape to represent this section. Slogan like no vote to Sawarn candidate will not work as it is not possible.”
In fact, it is tactic to divert attention from national issues like Rafele issue. Nirav Modi, and others looted country but government does not talk about it. Akhil Bharatiya OBC Mahasabha national president Lalit Kumar said, “Constitution should prevail and not SPAKS(Samanya Pichhara Alpsankhak Kalyan Sangh) led by upper caste. No upper caste candidate should be voted to power. Upper caste is upset with reservation as it thinks that if reservation is given to OBC like SC/ST, it will be problematic.”
