‘Government turned BCs as beggars’, R Krishnaiah demands caste census

Hyderabad: National Backward Classes Welfare Association criticized the Union government stating that the BCs are being treated as ‘beggars’ without them getting the ‘rightful’ share in the power.

Further the association demanded the Union government to conduct a caste-based census and table a BC bill in Parliament, and provide 50% reservation for BCs in state legislatures. The demands were made in the core committee meeting of the National BC Welfare Association, which was held, with President R. Krishnaiah participated as the chief guest. In the meeting held on Thursday, Krishnaiah questioned how long the BCs would be ‘unjustly’ treated without sharing their ‘rightful’ share in state power.

Addressing the meeting, Krishnaiah pointed out how the bill was passed in a single day for the upper castes reservations, who were mostly developed in all fields, to provide 10% reservation in the name of Economically Weaker section reservations. However, he criticized the Union government for not paying attention to the 30-year struggle to provide reservations for BCs in legislative assemblies.

Krishnaiah argued that BCs have been turned into beggars in the country, with the government providing them with sheep, goats, pigs, and pensions instead of a share in state power and votes, making them permanent beggars.

The association demanded that caste enumeration be carried out in the census, a BC bill be tabled in Parliament, 50% reservation for BCs in the legislatures, a special ministry for BCs at the Center, reservation in promotions for BC employees, and reservation for SC/ST/BCs in the private sector.

Krishnaiah stated that if reservations were given to BCs in education, employment, political, and social fields at the time of writing the Constitution, a lot of progress would have been made, and casteism would have been reduced to a minimum.

’16 states lack a single BC member in Parliament’

The association highlighted that out of 29 states, 16 states do not have a single BC Member of Parliament (MP). Similarly, out of 545 Lok Sabha members in the current Lok Sabha, only 96 are BCs. In Telangana, out of 119 MLAs, only 22 are BCs, and in Andhra Pradesh, out of 175 MLAs, the BCs do not exceed 40.

The association demanded that a BC bill be introduced in Parliament, and 50% political reservations be provided to BCs in the legislative assemblies. They also asked for promotions and reservations for BC employees, and for the central education and job reservations and the population of BCs to be increased from 27% to 56%.

The National BC Welfare Association emphasized the need for a separate ministry for BCs, special schemes for their development, and the enactment of a BC Act to provide social protection and security, similar to the SC/ST Act.