Opinion Social justice manifesto: Opposition should demand proportional representation in all public offices

The opposition must adopt the following “real and tangible social justice manifesto” if it really wants to attract the depressed classes and make a big dent in the BJP’s “social justice plus Hindutva” plank.

Proportional representation is the essence of any democracy. Ensuring this in every wing of the state and every public position of power is the hallmark of a truly representative democracy.

Pushpendra Singh

May 2, 2023 11:05 AM IST First published on: May 1, 2023 at 08:25 AM IST

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was recently disqualified as an MP after his conviction in a defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark. Presenting the remark as an insult to the Backward Classes, the BJP has been demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi. In his speech on April 6, the BJP’s Foundation Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi — playing the “social justice” card — said that while the opposition parties only gave political slogans about social justice, the BJP was the only party that considers it as an article of faith. Rahul Gandhi retaliated by saying that if the BJP is so concerned about the welfare of backward classes and castes, the Modi government should release the 2011 socio-economic caste census report.

Raising the issue of very low representation of SCs, STs and OBCs in government jobs especially at the secretary level, he demanded that the Modi government should lift the cap of 50 per cent on reservations and ensure representation of backward classes in proportion to their population. On April 3, Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin also held a national conference on the cause of social justice that was attended by prominent opposition leaders. The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar is already conducting a caste census. It seems that in 2024, all the national and regional parties want to show that they are the genuine champions of social justice and true well-wishers of the oppressed- SCs, STs and OBCs, who form about 80 per cent of the electorate. Incidentally, the majority of these classes work in the agriculture and allied sectors either as farmers or labourers.

The BJP has worked relentlessly since the Mandal movement days to win over the OBCs and other depressed classes. OBCs are now among the most ardent supporters of the Hindutva and nationalism agenda of the BJP. A few protests, statements or conferences by opposition parties won’t wean them away.

Also read | Mandal 2.0, and why Opposition may not be able to ride it like last time

Proportional representation is the essence of any democracy. Ensuring this in every wing of the state and every public position of power is the hallmark of a truly representative democracy. The country has taken several measures to achieve this but even after 75 years of independence, the dream of truly representative democracy and complete social justice remains elusive. SCs, STs and OBCs remain under-represented. The opposition must adopt the following “real and tangible social justice manifesto” if it really wants to attract the depressed classes and make a big dent in the BJP’s “social justice plus Hindutva” plank.

First, every society must ascertain the social, political, economic and educational situation of all the citizens and classes living in the country. For this, a comprehensive national caste census must be done. Based on the results, reservation should be given in proportion to their population to SCs, STs and OBCs in all state and central government jobs and educational institutions. All the state-level OBC castes should also be included in the Central OBC list.

Second, without proportional political representation, democracy is nothing but a farce. All sections of the society must get proportional representation in all the legislatures. At present, SCs and STs are given reservation in only the Lower Houses — Lok Sabha and vidhan sabhas — whereas there is no reservation for OBCs in any House. Reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in proportion to their populations should be extended to all the legislative wings. This is being implemented in the rural and urban local bodies and should be adopted in all the legislative Houses.

Third, in a healthy democracy, public resources must be distributed equitably among all sections of society. This can be ensured through fair, just and equitable policies. It’s the executive branch of the state that makes policies and implements laws. For ensuring that all sections of society have a say in policy-making, SCs, STs and OBCs must be given proportional representation in the council of ministers at the Centre and all state governments.

Fourth, SCs, STs and OBCs have very poor representation in the higher judiciary. Social diversity has been recognised as a very important criterion for better administration of justice. Proportional representation in all levels of the judiciary — lower courts, High Courts and the Supreme Court — must be ensured.

Fifth, constitutional bodies, government institutions and investigative agencies have a direct impact on the life and liberty of the citizens and also play an important role in the functioning of a democracy. So, the principle of proportional representation must also be extended to all the government institutions, universities, agencies and commissions at the state and central levels including election commissions, quasi-judicial bodies, tribunals, CBI, ED, NIA, etc.

Sixth, the bureaucracy helps in the formulation and implementation of public policies. Currently, there is an abysmally low representation of SCs, STs and OBCs in the higher bureaucracy. OBCs don’t have even one-third representation in the central government jobs as compared to their population. So, proportional representation in all the levels of bureaucracy in the states and at the Centre must be ensured.

Seventh, the office of the governor of any state plays a significant role in the administration of democracy. Taking the whole of India as a unit, backward classes must get a proportional share in the total number of available governor posts in the country.
If the opposition parties adopt this true social justice manifesto, it will be a game changer in the 2024 general elections. It will also show who is the true champion of the downtrodden and who is giving lip service to the cause of social justice.

The writer has worked extensively on OBC issues and is president, Kisan Shakti Sangh