[Reader-list] Protest (on April 1st) SC's stay on OBC reservationand brainstorm about how to furtherr Social Justice!

Mon Apr 2 10:48:21 IST 2007

Dear Vedprakash

  One of the most 'serious' objections raised by the SC with regard to the OBC reservation, is the regarding determination of the status of caste, for OBC reservation, based on the 1931 census. Yes the last census that gave any indication to the position of caste and their human development indices in india was the 1931 census. From 1881 to 1931 caste was an important criteria in the tabulation of the social position of the different sections of the sub-continent. However, the outbreak of the second world was in 1939, failed to the creation of an elaborate census in 1941. Hence the 1941 census cannot be used as an indication of any form of serious analysis. After independence, the new political and bureaucratic authorities of the "new" nation decided to do away with the idea of caste on any categorisation in census records. This was because Caste signified some thing derogatory in the new context. This complicated the whole enumeration process and thereby failed to arrive
 at any meaning ful analysis on the social condition of different caste groups in India. 

  There is no analysis in census records from 1931 onwards does not mean that caste as a social category, and the disadvantages attached to caste dissapeared and an 'egalitarian system was established' after 1931. Are the lower castes to be blamed for not having a caste based enumeration after 1931. For them  the idea of the new state to avoid the "category of caste" in census records closed any analysis on their social position. In a sense, for them, after independence, this shift was like from frying pan to fire!

  Burton

Vedprakash Sharma <vedprakash.sharma at gmail.com> wrote:
  it looks as if I went through the mail of a political leader. in my humble 
opinion, the SC has raised some very genuine objections. without a 
scientific analysis of the problem of reservation, one should not draw 
conclusions. we may have different views over it but the logic must prevail 
and the same should decide the criterion of the reservation.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Shivam Vij" 
To: "sarai list" 
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 12:30 PM
Subject: [Reader-list] Protest (on April 1st) SC's stay on OBC 
reservationand brainstorm about how to furtherr Social Justice!

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Satinath Choudhary 
>
> Dear friends from Delhi and close by,
>
> I am sorry for this late call! However, Emergency situation created
> by our upper caste Supreme Court does not give us the luxury of
> planning with plenty of time in our hands. Let us meet this Sunday,
> April 1st, 2007, at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, between 11 am to 1 pm, and
> accomplish a number of objectives in one shot!
>
> (a) Demo on Sunday, April 1st, 2007, at Jantar Mantar, Delhi,
> between 11 am to 1 pm against Supreme Court's stay OBC's reservation
> in higher education;
>
> (b) Brainstorm about declaring the month of April as Social Justice
> month. Social Justice month may attract participation and organizing
> on the part of STs, OBCs, and minorities, not many of whom have been
> organizing Ambedkar's birth anniversary;
>
> (c) Brainstorm about how to further the cause of social justice;
> in particular, how to democratize the court, especially the Supreme
> Autocratic Upper Caste.
>
> (d) Brainstorm about a bigger event by the end of April to further
> the cause of social justice
>
> If you have any suggestion with regard to any of the above
> mentioned things, please feel free to call me (at 9350041088) or write
> to me at satichou2 at yahoo.com.
>
> Dalit Voice Silver Jubilee Celebration Committee, Delhi invites you
> to join a daylong discussion and debate to mark the occasion of 25
> glorious years of Dalit Voice. Those of us who feel that Dalit Voice
> has contributed immensely to develop a new dynamic Ambedkarite
> movement would like to take this debate further.
>
> On April 8th, 2006, from 10 am to 5:30 pm, we all join hand to
> facilitate Dalit Voice for its wonderful journey. The daylong
> programme is organized at the Gandhi Peace Foundation, Deen Dayal
> Upadhyay Marg, Near ITO, New Delhi.
>
> Dalit Voice Silver Jubilee Celebration Committee: Rajni Tilak,
> Vidya Bhushan Rawat, Ashok Bharati, Satinath Choudhary, Abhimook
> Nayak,
>
> Contacts: vbrawat at gmail.com, rajni.nacdor at gmail.com, satichou2 at yahoo.com
> Telephone nos: 9871441261, 011-65902846, 22462528 (V.B.Rawat),
> 9871514040 ( Rajni Tilak) and 9350041088 (Satinath).
>
> Regards,
> Satinath
> _________________________________________
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