‘Graded inequality curbs access to reservation rights of SCs, STs’

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru:

Advocate Basawa Prasad Kunale (in pic) spoke at ‘The Alternative Law Forum’ about his recently co-authored paper –‘Addressing Graded Inequality Among the Scheduled Castes –‘Internal Reservation as a strategy’.

In light of the recent hike in reservations in Karnataka, the forum deliberated on the limited access to such rights due to the graded inequality within SCs and STs, entrenched by the caste system. “Graded inequality is a product of the caste system and is different from pure inequality as it divides the sufferers themselves based on unequal burden and benefits,” he said.

Kunale provided the example of inequality faced by “black people’’ in the USA and South Africa where they revolted against their oppressors, and compared it to the Indian subcontinent that follows the Varna system which involves multilayers of hierarchies.

Kunale’s paper addressed the issue of the dominant caste within the SCs and STs reaping all the benefits of the reservations.

“Mahars, who are a dominant caste among the scheduled castes in Maharashtra, are only 35 percent of the population while they are receiving 85 percent of the benefits,” he said. He also spoke of the many commissions that have been formed to address the issue and highlighted how the government has been dodging implementing the recommendations made.

Kunale pointed out that while reservations are present, those who get the benefit are mostly appointed for tier 3 and 4 jobs. The audience present had their own opinions on the issue. One of them questioned the introduction of reservations for economically weaker sections, while another added by saying, “Is it not replacing the whole idea of representation and compensation for the trauma caused for decades?”