Mudda panellists feel that parties should rise above vote politics to make a real difference in the lives of underprivileged, ruling party spokesperson clarifies stand on possible rollback of reservations

Several groups opposing caste-based reservations called for a Bharat bandh on Tuesday, following which the ministry of Home affairs (MHA) issued an advisory to all states to beef up security. Among many other developments related to the agitation, clashes were reported in Bihar and Section 144 was imposed in Bhopal. Caste is increasingly being seen as a vote bank by politicians. Instead of uplifting the underprivileged, caste and quota issues are raised by politicians for vested interests. These and other issues were discussed at APN’s popular debate Mudda. Anchorperson Anant Tyagi posed the questions to panelists including BJP’s Ashok Goel, Congress’s Surendra Rajput, SP’s Manoj Yadav, RPI’s Mahaveer Sonavane, Supreme Court advocate MC Dhingra, Dalit leader Lalji Nirmal, political expert CB Pandey, noted journalist Ravindra Singh, and APN consulting editor Govind Pant Raju.

Singh said: “Dalits got angry because of the dilution of the SC/ST Act. The violence is because of non-Dalits who are joining the protests. It’s not in the DNA of Dalits to be violent.”

Pandey said: “The Act has not been diluted so much.”

Goel said: “The BJP wants the quotas to stay. The violence is being triggered by anti-socials, and they are taking the name of Ambedkar. Some opposition parties are behind the violence.”

Rajput said: “The April 2 stir and April 10 stir are very different. In the last four years, BJP’s policies have been anti-Dalit. Dalits are angry. The Supreme Court dilution of the ACT was like putting oil to the fire. In UP, Mayawati had also diluted the Act, but Dalits trust Mayawati, and not Modi, therefore the protests now.“

Goel said: “Before the BJP came to power, the political parties were just seeing Dalits as a vote-bank. BJP is actually changing this.”

Singh said: “Dalits have been exploited, and all parties are guilty of indulging in this. Quota should be given on basis of economic backwardness. Political parties have created divisions to suit their own interests.”

Sonavane said: “Quota should be not at the cost of the weaker sections. Dalit quota should not be diluted.”

Dhingra said:”On April 2, the stir was due to dilution of the SC/ST Act. The stir on April 10 is against the quantum of quota. Both issues are different.”

Yadav said: “Witness the new India developed by Modi. SP does not support violence. Dalits are not the vote-bank for SP. Dalits are our subject and agenda.”

Raju said: “Since long, Dalits have been exploited as vote-bank. Quota is meant to remove social prejudices as well. If the political will was present, the actual scenario would have been very different.”

Nirmal said: “SC dilution has weakened the Act, and virtually put the Act on ventilator. Dalit anger will rise like this. Protests should be like those of Mahatma Gandhi.”

Rajput said: “It’s the BJP who is triggering the violence.”

Goel said: “Orgainsing a bandh is a fundamental right, but we are against violence.”

Yadav said: “BJP is responsible for ensuring peace and amity.”

Raju said: “Democracy ensures voice for all. It’s ok to protest. The government has to ensure that all sections of the society are well-addressed.”

Singh said: “Bandh is orgainsed by people who have vested interests. And we must watch out so that we don’t become pawns in the political gameplans of various parties.”

—Compiled by Niti Singh Bhandari

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