People's Democracy

  CPI(M) To Push For Reservation In Private Sector

THE Communist Party of India (Marxist) has declared that it shall exercise its influence in the present political situation to see that the demand for implementation of reservation to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in the private sector is met with. It however called upon people from these sections to realise that reservations are just one part of affirmative action and unless economic affirmative action is carried out, this discrimination cannot really be eradicated.

This was stated by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury while addressing a two-day ‘National Summit on Reservation in Private Sector’ at Mavalankar Hall in New Delhi on August 8. Cutting across their individual identities, various dalit organisations have come together from all over the country to organise this convention. Nearly 1000 delegates, among whom included a sizeable number of women, participated in the summit from different states. The inaugural session of the summit was chaired by Bojja Tarakam. Former prime minister V P Singh was the chief guest and among those who spoke in the inaugural session included CPI secretary D Raja, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, RPI leader Ramdas Athavle, Rajya Sabha member R S Gavai and All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations president Udit Raj.

Yechury in his address underlined that India cannot become a modern society unless State intervenes for affirmative action to empower dalits. Although reservations form a small part of this empowerment, even this was being eroded. He called for a struggle to stop this erosion and to see that they are expanded. He said that limiting the reservations for the last 57 years to just public sector was a wrong thing. He debunked the argument of merit and efficiency as baseless and said this was only a mask to cover up the intention of the ruling classes to continue their perpetuation of inequality. "A son of industrialist takes over the company just because he is a son. What merit does he have?" questioned Yechury.

He asked the Indian capitalists and government to learn from advanced capitalist countries like US and so-called Asian tigers like Malaysia which carried out affirmative action as they realised that modernisation and progress was not possible without affirmative action for disadvantaged groups. He cited Malaysia’s experience where affirmative action over two decades (1970-1990) resulted in the backward bhoomiputras increasing their presence as capital owners from 4 per cent to 20 per cent. In India’s context the economical empowerment of dalits and downtrodden would result in expansion of purchasing power of vast sections, which would be good for private sector, he said. Yechury ended his speech reminding that the struggle does not end with reservation alone and that it can end only with the economic empowerment of dalits. Emphasising that there is no contradiction between class and caste and that it is the ruling classes conspiracy to pit class against caste, Yechury called upon dalits to join this struggle for larger empowerment.

V P Singh asked the UPA government to learn from the defeat of NDA government and accordingly change its policies. Saying that making reservation in private sector voluntary will not work, Singh wanted a legislation to be introduced in this session of parliament itself. He further said that such legislation must be passed in the next session of parliament. (INN)