People's Democracy

For Implementation of the Ranganath Mishra Commission Report

The 20th Congress of the CPI(M) protests against the deliberate delay on the part of the central government to initiate steps for the implementation of the Ranganath Mishra Commission report. While there are several positive recommendations for the advance of the status of minorities, this Party Congress draws attention  specifically to two of the recommendations.

The first is for reservation of jobs for Muslims on grounds of the social and economic backwardness of the vast majority of the community. It has recommended 10 per cent of reservation in jobs and education for backward sections of the Muslim minority and 5 per cent for other minorities. This will require a law to end the present limitation of 50 per cent on the total reservations arbitrarily imposed by the Supreme Court.

The recommendation for reservations comes in the background of the Sachar Committee report which painted a graphic picture of the discriminations that Muslims face particularly in the field of employment. Although there were several weaknesses in the report regarding statewise details, as for example it's  non- recognition of land distribution to Muslims in West Bengal as part of the land reform measures etc or employment of Muslims as teachers in Madrassas and other educational institutions at government salaries, it does not detract from its overall assessment that the Muslim minorities in general have faced injustice in employment in government and public sector and the police forces, even more than SCs and STs who have constitutional protection. There is, thus, an urgency to take  specific measures to redress this injustice to Muslim communities. This is a democratic and secular demand.

This Congress notes that instead of discussing the report in parliament and building a democratic consensus, the Congress party tried to utilise the issue of reservations for minorities as a poll gimmick in the recently held UP elections. By doing so, it gave a handle to the communal forces on the one hand and caused confusion among other social sections on the other. In spite of consistent demands from the Left parties and others, it has continuously refused to clarify the central government's position on the recommendations. This shows its non-seriousness on the issue.

This Party Congress notes that it is only the then Left front government in West Bengal which implemented the recommendations by reserving 10 per cent of the jobs for the socially and economically backward sections of the Muslim minority.

The second significant recommendation of the Commission is to include Muslim and Christian dalits in the Scheduled Caste lists. The 1950 Presidential Order and the further amendments to it were discriminatory against Scheduled Castes who had converted to either Islam or Christianity while recognising the rights of those who had converted to Buddhism or Sikhism. The Ranganath Mishra Commission has sought to make it religion neutral and recommended the amendment to the Order to end this injustice.

The 20th Party Congress condemns the communal campaign of the RSS-BJP combine against this legitimate right of the minorities for reservation in jobs and education and against the legitimate claims of dalit Muslims and Christians.

It demands that the central government, without any further delay, accept the recommendation for 10 per cent reservation for Muslims and additional reservation for other minorities in employment and education. The necessary mechanisms including legislation and/ or constitutional amendment to make this possible must be worked out and brought in the next session of parliament.

It also demands inclusion of Dalit Christians and Muslims in the SC list. The percentage of reservation for SCs must be suitably increased to include these sections.

The 20th Party Congress calls on all Party units to actively champion the cause of the minorities against discrimination and for equal citizen rights for employment and education as recommended by the Ranganath Mishra Commission.