Congress espouses cause of all sections of the society: Koppula Raju

Congress national coordinator for SC, OBC, minority and Adivasi departments Koppula Raju, who is also a former IAS officer, maintains that the party’s discourse on caste census and its endeavour to realise equality in society brings Dalits, tribals, backward classes and minorities to the centre stage. Edited excerpts of his interview to HT:

Is the Congress branding itself as a party for the cause of SC, ST, OBC and minorities?

Our party has been consistently espousing the cause of all sections of the society. For example, Rahul Gandhi has recently raised questions about the unemployed youth from all sections of the society and pointed out the failed ELI (employment linked incentive) scheme. In the past, both Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have raised the issues concerning the unemployed youth. Rahul Gandhi has also spoken about the Agniveer (Agnipath) scheme, demonetisation, flawed GST, neglect of manufacturing sector, and neglect of MSMEs... So, it is not correct to say that he is only talking about SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities.

History suggests that Congress has never benefitted out of caste politics.

Rahul Gandhi is forcefully arguing and demanding for caste census because it is only through the caste census that we can correctly estimate the share of SCs, STs, OBCs in the nation’s income, wealth, and opportunities in institutions and power structures. The discourse on caste census and our endeavour to realise equality in society undoubtedly brings SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities to the centre stage. But it should not be viewed as caste politics but politics driven by Congress’ aspiration to realise equality guaranteed in our Constitution.

Why did the recently adopted AICC resolution then call for a central law on SC/ST sub plan and implementation of Article 15(5)?

Sub plans were introduced in 1970s to earmark a portion of the budget of the Centre and states for development of SCs and STs. During the last 10 years, the BJP-led government at the Centre has drastically reduced budgetary allocations on SC, ST sub plans. Currently, it is as low as 3.4% for SCs and 2.6% for STs. Over the last 10 years, SCs have been deprived of ₹11.70 lakh crore and STs of ₹5.75 lakh crore.

In 2013, the then UPA regime had initiated a plan for action for central legislation on sub plans but could not do so due to declaration of elections. Now, we are asking for a central legislation so as to secure accelerated development of SCs/STs to bridge the gaps between development of these groups and the rest of the society in a given time frame.

The UPA government inserted Article 15(5) in the Constitution in 2006 to allow reservations for SCs, STs, and socially and educationally backward classes in educational institutions, including private unaided institutions, except minority institutions. The UPA provided reservations in government-run educational institutions.

In the last 10 years, there is huge expansion of educational institutions in private sector. The proportion of students pursuing higher education in private institutions is on the rise. Poor SC/ST and OBC students are not able to access opportunities for higher education in private institutions.

The Bihar government has passed a legislation increasing caste-based reservations up to 75%. Why the Congress-ruled states are not doing the same?

The Congress-ruled Telangana has undertaken caste census and based on its findings the assembly has passed a legislation to increase the OBC quota up to 42%. The Karnataka government, too, has completed caste census but is yet to publish the findings of the caste census.

The AICC resolution has termed arbitrary the 50% ceiling on reservation. Is the Congress trying to reduce opportunities for general category in education and employment?

The 50% ceiling on reservation is arbitrary because the Supreme court did not have the empirical data on the socio – economic status of OBCs, whose census has not carried out since 1931. In the absence of data, the 50% ceiling is arbitrary which of course can be challenged only by placing the socio-economic data relating to OBC population in the country. That is why the Congress is demanding for conduct OBC census as part of decennial census.

Even if the ceiling is removed, I don’t think there will be a situation where opportunities available to general category will be disproportional to their population. The poor among non-reserved categories anyway are able to access 10% EWS quota.