Conclave on Conversion and Reservation

 

Conclave on Conversion and Reservation

Vishva Samvad Kendra and Gautam Buddha University hosted a two day Conclave on Conversion and Reservation on March 4-5, 2023 at the University at Greater Noida (Gautam Buddha Nagar (UP) with reference to the Justice K.G. Balakrishnan Commission on the issue of reservation to dalit converts to Islam and Christianity. The event was sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Sciences Research. I

participated in the Conclave, on an invitation by the organizers, as a delegate along with Who’s Who from the academic, intellectual, opinion makers, social activists from all over India. It was, indeed, as expected, a well organized event as a ‘brain storming exercise’ on the contemporary issue of concern and interest to the country and the society at large. Being a non-academic participant, I benefitted a great deal from the deliberations at the Conclave. I thought of sharing here some of my ‘take home’ impressions and reflections on the important issues of Conversion and Reservations for the benefit of wider audience.

  The relevant provision in the Indian Constitution (Scheduled Castes Order of 1950) stipulates that “no person who professes a religion different from the Hindu, the Sikh or the Buddhist religion shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste.” It has been explained that the exclusion of Christianity or Islam from these provisions is due to the fact that the oppressive system of untouchability is not prevalent in the Christian or Islamic societies. However there has been a persistent demand for including the Scheduled Castes who have converted to Christianity or Islam be given the benefits of reservation.

The Central Government appointed a Commission in October, 2022

Vidya and Ramesh Chander with CJI KG Balakrishnan

under the Chairmanship of Justice K G. Balakrishnan (Former Chief Justice of India) with the following terms of reference;

(i) To examine the matter of according Scheduled Caste status to new persons, who claim to historically have belonged to the Scheduled Castes, but have converted to religion other than those mentioned in the Presidential Orders issued from time to time under Article 341 of the Constitution;

(ii) To examine the implications on the existing Scheduled Castes, of adding such new persons as part of the existing list of Scheduled Castes;

(iii) To examine the changes Scheduled Caste persons go through on converting to other religions in terms of their customs, traditions, social and other status discrimination and deprivation, and the implication of the same on the question of giving them Scheduled Caste status.

 

The organizers had indicated a number of relevant subjects on which the delegates were invited to submit papers viz.: 1. Scheduled Castes and Reservation – History, Evolution and Development.  2. Indian Constitution and Reservation 3. Consequences of Conversion 4. Abrahamic Religions: Caste and Reservation. More than 60 delegates submitted their papers on various subjects of choice which were thoughtfully copied and compiled in a folder and circulated by the hosts. My paper: Social Consequences of Conversion also included in the said compilation. It was informed that by the time the Conclave was held more than 150 papers were received which would be compiled and disseminated in due course. These details only indicate the relevance and importance of the issue; Conversion and Reservation. Later I posted it in my blog which may be accessed at: http://diplomatictitbits.blogspot.com/2023/03/social-consequences-of-conversion.html

 The Conclave, to my mind, duly justified this if we simply go by the level of participation and the in-depth deliberations at the two day event at the Dr. Ambedkar Auditorium of Gautam Buddha University, lush green and picturesque location in Greater Noida in the National Capital Region (NCR). The inaugural session of the conclave on March 4 was addressed by VC of Gautam Buddha University Dr. Ravindra Kumar Sinha, Alok Kumar of VHP, Former Minister and BJP leader, Sanjay Paswan and Former VC of Pune University and Member of the then Planning Commission now NITI Aayog, Dr. Narendra Jadhav who also Chaired the session. All the four dignitaries, made thought provoking statements with regard to the theme of the Conclave and set the ball rolling for the forthcoming Special sessions to be addressed by the experts, intellectuals, academics, social and political activists at Dr. Ambedkar Auditorium and Swami Vivekananda Conference Hall. Dr. Pravesh Kumar, one of the Coordinators of the Conclave steered the inaugural session as Master of Ceremonies with great ability and acumen. Yet another highlight of the first day of the conclave was the ZERO HOUR held

in the evening of March 4. Many of the delegates who did not get an opportunity to individually present their papers were given chance to have their say in an open session. I was one of the speakers at the Zero Hour. It was an honour to address the august gathering of the elite of the intellectual circles. Appreciating the emerging ‘oneness of thought’ at the conclave on the various issue under consideration, I congratulated the organizers for inviting me to the event. My humble intervention based on my speaking Notes posted in the Facebook may be seen at: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid04VGFAuxRU57r5k6V9J5E5vN1W9nHibVNLPkwGZ3jogWq6XRze9WC4k8UaAJLzgdhl&id=100001264001735&mibextid=Nif5oz

Besides going with the general thinking of the conclave, I mentioned in my brief intervention something different not to create any avoidable controversy but to put the things in perspective with regard to abolition of political reservations to dalits and reservation to OBCs and EWSs. The reasons for holding these views have been given firefly in my Speaking Notes available in the above link of the Facebook post of mine.

The concluding session held in the afternoon of March 5, gave a clear picture of almost unanimous thinking on the theme of the Conclave – Conversion and Reservation. Milind Kamle, Mentor of DICCI, Justice B. Siva Shankara Rao, and Retired Judge of the Telangana High Court and senior functionaries of RSS including Dr. Surinder Jain, Joint Secretary of RSS. Milind Kamle in his concluding remarks termed himself as the ‘Sipahi’ of Samrasta and argued against reservations to dalit converts to Islam and Christianity. Executive Officer of Vishva Sambad Kendra, Vijay Shankar Tiwari gave the Vote of Thanks. It was a highly educative and beneficial experience to be there. Some of my expressions and reflections of the Conclave are:

·       Government o India’s decision to appoint Justice K.G. Balakrishnan Commission on the issue of reservation to dalit converts to Islam and Christianity is a good and timely decision in the spirit of transparency and democracy and also – Sab Ka Sath; Sab Ka Vishwas and Sab Ka Vikas.

·       RSS leaders were cautious on the issue of reservations to the SCs in the Hindu fold and were candid that these reservations would stay till the scourge of untouchability and caste discrimination remain. The main stream of the Hindu society should not be oblivious of this ground reality.

·       Many of the delegates, duly and rightly so, appreciated that RSS and other cultural outfits have, of late, seen the writings on the wall and have decided to take on these, caste system etc., ills of the society head on and bring about the much needed Samrasta - an equitable social order in the society as stipulated in the constitution of India.

·       There was almost unanimity that reservations should not be extended to the dalit converts to Islam and Christianity as these religions have no caste based discrimination on the basis of which reservations were extended to dalits in the Hindu fold.

·       It was felt that it must be understood, the sooner the better, that these issues do not concern the dalits alone but to all the citizens of India and the society at large and should be dealt with as such.

·       It was clearly evident that, of late, it has been realized by the main stream of the Hindu society that India would not be able to become ‘Vishav Guru’ unless and until we establish a caste less society and bring about Samrasta in the society.

Let me conclude this piece with the hope that some of my views on political reservation, reservation to EWS and even OBCs are taken in perspective.  Samrasta and not reservations is the answer. Reservations tend to support and encourage graded inequality which has inherit ingredient of divisiveness, the very negation of equitable social order.