Twenty-one organisations across the country have called for a Bharat Bandh on Wednesday (August 21) against the Supreme Court's August 1 decision on the issue of SC/ST reservation. The organisations opposed this decision and said that it will harm the basic principles of reservation. What is the Supreme Court ruling? In a landmark verdict on August 1, the Supreme Court held that states are constitutionally empowered to make sub-classifications within the SCs, which form a socially heterogeneous class, for granting reservation for the uplift of castes that are socially and educationally more backward among them. The apex court, however, made it clear that states have to make sub-classification on the basis of "quantifiable and demonstrable data" of backwardness and representation in government jobs and not on "whims" and as a matter of "political expediency". What are the demands? The National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations (NACDAOR) has appealed to Dalits, Adivasis, and OBCs to take part in a peaceful agitation on Wednesday. The aim of the Bharat Bandh, they said, is to demand justice and equality for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes through collective action. NACDAOR said the August 1 ruling of the Supreme Court undermines the earlier judgement of a 9-judge bench in the Indira Sawhney case, which remains a landmark in India’s history of reservations. The organisation wants the government to reject the SC judgement, which it says jeopardises the constitutional rights of SCs and STs. It is calling for the enactment of a new Act of Parliament on reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs to be included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. They feel that this will protect these provisions from judicial interference and will foster social harmony. The organisation has also called for the immediate release of caste-based data on SC/ST/OBC representation in government services. It is demanding the establishment of an Indian Judicial Service to recruit judicial officers and judges from all sections of society, with a target of 50 per cent of representation in the higher judiciary from the SC, ST, and OBC categories. What will be affected by the bandh? The organisers of the bandh have called upon business establishments to remain closed on Wednesday. Educational institutions like schools and colleges are expected to work. Government offices and banks will continue to operate across the country. Public utilities like drinking water supply, electricity services, hospitals, ambulances, and pharmacies will be operational. There is no official announcement about the operation of public transport services. Commuters can expect disruptions in certain places.Follow our live updates below:
Twenty-one organisations across the country have called for a Bharat Bandh on Wednesday (August 21) against the Supreme Court's August 1 decision on the issue of SC/ST reservation. The organisations opposed this decision and said that it will harm the basic principles of reservation. What is the Supreme Court ruling? In a landmark verdict on August 1, the Supreme Court held that states are constitutionally empowered to make sub-classifications within the SCs, which form a socially heterogeneous class, for granting reservation for the uplift of castes that are socially and educationally more backward among them. The apex court, however, made it clear that states have to make sub-classification on the basis of "quantifiable and demonstrable data" of backwardness and representation in government jobs and not on "whims" and as a matter of "political expediency". What are the demands? The National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations (NACDAOR) has appealed to Dalits, Adivasis, and OBCs to take part in a peaceful agitation on Wednesday. The aim of the Bharat Bandh, they said, is to demand justice and equality for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes through collective action. NACDAOR said the August 1 ruling of the Supreme Court undermines the earlier judgement of a 9-judge bench in the Indira Sawhney case, which remains a landmark in India’s history of reservations. The organisation wants the government to reject the SC judgement, which it says jeopardises the constitutional rights of SCs and STs. It is calling for the enactment of a new Act of Parliament on reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs to be included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. They feel that this will protect these provisions from judicial interference and will foster social harmony. The organisation has also called for the immediate release of caste-based data on SC/ST/OBC representation in government services. It is demanding the establishment of an Indian Judicial Service to recruit judicial officers and judges from all sections of society, with a target of 50 per cent of representation in the higher judiciary from the SC, ST, and OBC categories. What will be affected by the bandh? The organisers of the bandh have called upon business establishments to remain closed on Wednesday. Educational institutions like schools and colleges are expected to work. Government offices and banks will continue to operate across the country. Public utilities like drinking water supply, electricity services, hospitals, ambulances, and pharmacies will be operational. There is no official announcement about the operation of public transport services. Commuters can expect disruptions in certain places.Follow our live updates below: