The NDA Government has packed the fresh-look National Commission for Scheduled Castes with its own.The new commission is because of a Constitutional amendment that sought to give space to India’s tribal population by appointing a separate commission for them as against a combined National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes that had existed since 1989.Headed by Suraj Bhan, former governor and a BJP veteran, the five-member caste commission includes: Phool Chand Verma, vice chairman, is a former MP and a BJP veteran from Indore; Fakirbhai Vaghela, member, from Ahmedabad is a former minister in the Gujarat government. Sulekha Mankar, member, used to head the Scheduled Caste morcha in Sholapur and is a member of the BJP’s national executive. The commission’s general secretary, Devender V, is general secretary of the BJP’s Andhra Pradesh unit.While Bijoy Sonkar Sastri, chairman of the SC/ST commission, has resigned to make way for the new panel, another member, Vijay Choudhary, has gone to Delhi High Court challenging the legality of the Government’s move. The court has issued notices to the Centre. The commission is a constitutional body with judicial powers.
