Congress eyes its old vote bank, with promise of a Rohith Vemula Act for backwards, minorities

As a debate rages over conducting a caste census, with the Modi government resisting calls for the same by regional parties with OBC vote banks, the Congress talked of conducting a Socio-Economic Caste Census, along with the decennial Census. The party has earlier supported a caste census.

Significantly, the Congress resolution also says that SC/STs and OBCs cannot be excluded from the EWS quota, and said it would ensure that students belonging to the economically weak section are given age relaxation on par with that given to SC/STs for government services.

Several parties have argued that the EWS quota cannot be restricted to upper castes, and should have a separate provision for SC/STs and OBCs.

The Congress has been trying hard to regain its support base among the marginalised communities. Congress leaders grudgingly acknowledge that the BJP is ahead in the game, and that while the choice of Ram Nath Kovind (a Dalit) and Droupadi Murmu (a tribal) as President was largely “symbolic”, it had sent a powerful political message to the communities.

The Congress resolution talks of undertaking countrywide surveys to study inequalities and to “comprehensively” map the socio-economic and political status of SC/STs, OBCs and minorities, with a State of Social Justice Report to be published annually along the lines of the National Economic Survey.

Further, the party promised a national law to ensure that a portion of the Union Budget is earmarked in proportion to the population of SCs and STs in the country and to provide special budgetary allocation to accelerate the development of OBCs.

The party also promised a dedicated ministry for the empowerment of OBCs, and said it would give constitutional status to the National Commission for Minorities and National Commission for Women.

Acknowledging a “high sense of insecurity and agony” among the minorities and SC/STs, the Congress talked of strengthening the legal mechanism for ensuring protection of their rights.

The resolution passed Sunday says there is a need to ensure that the judiciary is reflective of the social diversity of the country, and hence the party “shall consider reservations for SCs-STs-OBCs in the higher judiciary”. Reforms will also be undertaken to create an Indian Judicial Service, it says.

The resolution also talks about enacting a legislation to guarantee the right to work for urban poor on the lines of the MGNREGA.