[Marxistindia] On reservations for economically deprived people among the general category

[news from the cpi(m)]

January 8, 2019
 
Press Statement
 
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the
following statement:
 
On Reservations for Economically Deprived People among the 
General Category
 
The decision of the Union Cabinet to accord 10 per cent reservation to the
economically weaker sections among the general category is an electoral
ploy.  This decision comes a  day before the current session of Parliament
is scheduled to end with an eye on the forthcoming general elections. It is
also an admission of the abject failure of the Modi government to create
employment in the past four and a half years.
 
This issue has been under discussion since the Mandal Commission days.  The
CPI(M) had then said and continues to maintain that such a measure is
required.  This Cabinet decision, however, is coming without any
consultation, particularly when the criteria to determine the beneficiaries
of such a step has been fixed for those with family income less than Rs. 8
lakhs per annum and other criteria which raises the question whether this
reservation will really benefit those truly deprived.  The two-day
countrywide industrial strike that began today is demanding a guaranteed
minimum wage of Rs. 18,000 per month, i.e., Rs. 2.16 lakhs per annum.  Even
this is not being given by this government.    
 
The Modi government refused to act on this issue all these years. The timing
of the present Cabinet decision completely exposes this BJP-led NDA
government's  desperation to muster support for its electoral fortunes after
its defeat in the recently held five state assembly elections.  
 
This measure requires amendment to Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution.
An amendment to the Constitution requires time and also the approval of the
majority of the state legislatures before it comes into effect.  The haste
with which the Union Cabinet has decided, completely exposes the Modi
government's intentions of  using this issue just to get electoral
dividends.
 
The policies pursued by the Modi government have, instead of generating
employment, led to loss of existing jobs.  The existing quotas for SC/ST and
OBCs are not being filled up.  Benefits of reservations are increasingly
eroded by the pursuit of aggressive neo-liberal policies and by keeping the
private sector outside its purview.
 
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands widespread consultations before any
such Constitutional amendment is brought before Parliament.  
 
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://cpim.org/pipermail/marxistindia_cpim.org/attachments/20190108/299571c7/attachment.html>