Sehore (Madhya Pradesh): The Supreme Court's recent decision on introducing a 'creamy layer' and subcategorisation within the reservation system for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC-ST) has sparked widespread opposition from these communities.
The Ahirwar Community Association in Sehore, among other SC-ST organisations, has voiced strong objections to the ruling. Kapil Suryavanshi, the media spokesperson for the Ahirwar Community Association, told the media that various Dalit organisations called for a nationwide shutdown on Wednesday in protest against the decision. The Ahirwar Community Association in theSehore district supported the shutdown and organised a rally.
This rally culminated in the submission of a memorandum addressed to the President at the Collectorate, expressing their discontent. Vinod Barodia, the divisional secretary of the association, stated that the Supreme Court's ruling has deeply hurt the community. He expressed that the decision is perceived as a conspiracy to deprive the community of its rights and entitlements, leaving them distressed and fearful.
The community is already facing discrimination in employment, experiencing injustice and oppression, and often being harassed due to caste.
Furthermore, there are concerns about inadequate recruitment for backlog positions, the privatisation of departments leading to the erosion of reservation benefits, and the perception that the decision aims to divide the community. Prominent figures such as divisional president TulsiramAhirwar, divisional secretary Vinod Barodia, district president Karan Singh Ahirwar, and many others including Jivan Ahirwar, Radheshyam Ahirwar, MansharamAhirwar, and Laxman Ahirwar were present during the submission of the memorandum.