Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Leader of the Opposition (Lok Sabha) on Price Rise

Moving the Motion on ‘Price Rise’ in the Lok Sabha today (3 August, 2010), Smt. Sushma Swaraj, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha effectively raised the concerns and hardships faced by common people and the housewives on account of unprecedented rise in prices.

She said that after the debate in Lok Sabha on 25th February, 2010 on the issue of price rise, all of us had thought that the Government will take some concrete and effective steps to curb prices. On the contrary, the prices of petrol and diesel were increased on the very next day i.e. on 26 February, 2010.

The Opposition parties brought a Cut Motion on this issue and a Division was called in the House. If the support extended by members belonging to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to the Government is not taken into account, then the Government was clearly in a minority. This was a technical victory not an emphatic or a credible one.

However, in spite of this, the Government did not do any introspection and exactly four months later i.e. on 26th June, 2010, the prices of kerosene and cooking gas were also increased in addition to the already hiked prices of petrol and diesel. This was like adding insult to injury and further adding to the misery of the already burdened common people.

The UPA Government stands exposed as totally insensitive on this issue and its conduct is nothing short of a betrayal. It is a betrayal as it had won the elections on the plank of common people and it burdened the same common man with unabated price rise.

She said that in June, 2008, the prices of petrol in international market was 134USD per barrel and the prices were not increased at that time. However, now the prices of petrol are 74USD per barrel and the prices are being increased. It is obvious that 2008 was a pre-election year as a result the increase in prices was not announced. But after winning the election in the name of the common man, the prices were increased. This is nothing short of a betrayal of the trust of people.

She also said that we have no control over the international prices but we can provide some relief to the common man by reducing the customs and excise duty. In this context, the suggestion of moving towards a ‘Revenue Neutral Regime’ was also given to the Finance Minister. He said that before advising the State Governments to reduce the Sales Tax on petroleum products, the Finance Minister should announce some reduction in customs duty.

She also said that by increasing the prices of cooking gas, the UPA Government has forced the housewives to go back to using the wooden logs for cooking purposes.

Taking a swipe at the UPA government, she said that while the NDA Government had to pay a heavy price for accepting the recommendations of the Kelkar Committee, the UPA government has set-up three committees viz. Ranganath Committee, Chaturvedi Committee and Kirit Parekh Committee and will have to pay a heavy price for the same.

Referring to the recommendations of the Kirit Parekh Committee, she said that these pertain to increasing the price of kerosene by six rupees and of cooking gas by rupees one hundred with immediate effect and to keep on increasing it steadily and also suggest removal of subsidy on LPG completely. She quoted from the replies given by the Minister of Petroleum in the Parliament and alleged that the intention of the Government is to keep on increasing these prices which will impose an unbearable burden on the common man.

Smt. Swaraj referred to the article written by Smt. Sonia Gandhi in the Congress Party magazine and said that even she has also justified this increase on the ground that the additional money generated will be utilized through the welfare schemes for the common people. This is like the saying that we will get to see the morning if we manage to survive the night.

She raised the difficulties being faced by traders of Agra due to the 60% increase in prices of APM gas. The BJP MP from Agra had met the Prime Minister with a delegation to apprise him of their difficulties and he had assured that the matter will be looked into. But so far nothing has happened. She said that nearly two lakh people earn their livelihood through this trade and it is essential to provide succor to them.

She put the Government in the dock over its argument that the PSUs are incurring huge losses due to non-increase of prices of petroleum products. Referring to the replies given by the Minister for Petroleum in the Parliament and the Annual Report of the Ministry, she said that these companies are earning a profit of thousands of crores.

Smt. Swaraj also criticized the Public Distribution System of the Government and said that on one hand crores of people are getting anything to eat and on the other lakhs of tonnes of grain is being allowed to rot in Government godowns and warehouses. She referred to Shahjahanpur in UP and said that nearly 3 lakh 97 thousand tonnes of grain is lying in the open.

Talking about Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh, she said that adequate quantities of food grains are not being supplied to these states for PDS while the Chief Ministers of these states have been urging the Agriculture Minister repeatedly in this regard. It is extremely surprising that if any State requests for additional allocation of food grains under APL, it is made to pay extra charges for the same.

In the end, she said that all political parties are worried about the situation due to rise in prices. The Opposition parties have been raising this issue with full earnestness for quite some time now while the parties supporting the Government have been talking about it in muted tones. Even the Members of Parliament belonging to the Treasury Benches are keeping quiet on the issue due to party considerations and compulsions.

Smt. Sushma Swaraj said that as an Opposition party, BJP stands to gain from the unpopularity of the Government. But gain and loss is a language of the business and not of a responsible political party like the BJP which does not behave like a trader but rather like an alert custodian of people’s hopes and aspirations. It is our moral duty to ensure that the unabated rise in prices is checked and the common people are provided some relief. She called upon all political parties that they should work to make this Government take some concrete steps to provide relief to the common people.

BJP National General Secretary, Shri Vijay Goel on Common Wealth Game

Shri Vijay Goel BJP All India General Secretary and former Sports Minister said that the Report of the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), indicting the Central and Delhi Government and its agencies for their rampant corruption in executing the Commonwealth Games works, has shocked, disappointed and startled every patriotic citizen of the country. Mr. Goel said that substandard materials have been used in the construction all over. The mandatory quality tests conducted on the materials have been forged and fudged to hype up the result. The electrical installations at the venues have not been checked and tested at all. The safety norms at the venues have not been ascertained and confirmed.

The expenditure which in 2007 was approved for 3390 crores has now gone to 80,000 crores. He also pointed out that there was a deliberate delay of four years in commencing the work for the Commonwealth Games which was done with a view to inflate the expenditure on the Games. This, Mr. Goel pointed out, was stated by Mr. M.S. Gill, Union Minister for Sports himself.

Mr. Goel said that he had earlier warned the Government in December 2009 that the Government should get down very seriously to the Organisation of the Games and that rampant corruption was conspicuous in awarding the contracts, but no heed was paid to his suggestions. Mr. Goel said that the work was being done on three times higher rates than the actual rates and even then the quality of work is very poor. It was apparently being done for the benefit and undue favour to the interested parties.

Mr. Goel said that the Opening and Closing ceremony was to cost Rs. 375 crores, stadiums maintenance 238 crores but same has now cost 3390 crores. The Opening ceremony tickets are costing Rs. 1000 to Rs. 50,000 and the balloon display will cost 50 crores and the Queens Baton Ceremony cost 11 crores and Stadium consultancy charges have cost 42 crores, these are very high and unjustifiable expenditure.

In Mr. Goel’s assessment the scam in the CWG will be to the tone of Rs. 30,000 crores. The forging and fudging of various quality and safety checks has widely thrown open the possibility of mishaps, black out and accidents.

Mr. Goel pointed out that all organisations considered “inadmissible factors” to check up the project cost to justify the award of contract sitting URGENT CIRCUMSTANCES. 15 such projects have been awarded much higher rates and 30 items which were not part of the original documents have been incorporated in contract at much higher rates after receipt of tenders. The tenders themselves were rigged to favour ‘Four’ companies, which are Australia based.

The worst thing which nobody expected to happen is the ‘passing of the buck’ and blame shifting game between the Chairman of the Organising Committee Shri Suresh Kalmadi and the Delhi Government and its CWG organizers. It is matter of great concern that the large money which are to be spent, nobody seems to be responsible for its proper accounting and expenditure.

Mr. Vijay Goel said that in the interest of the nation, everyday he is wishing and praying that the CWG should meet the dead line be conducted properly but this seems to be, as the things stand today, a near impossibility. He demanded that a high level judicial enquiry. In this matter which may be conducted even after the Games.

Missionaries: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Q: Is there a problem with proselytism overseas by U.S. religious groups? Isn't sharing one's faith part of religious freedom? When does it cross the line into manipulation and coercion?

Missionary proselytization has been an integral part of the two main prophetic religions, Christianity and Islam, since early on in the formation of each. It is precisely the reason they are the two largest religions in the world. It is also one of the darkest and most sinister aspects of religion and one of the main reasons so many people have a negative view of anything to do with religion. The basis and justification for proselytization is an extremely narrow minded and arrogant assumption: "My religion is the only right one, I have the only truth, all other religions are wrong, and it is my duty to get others to think and believe like me." This belief has been used by Christians and Muslims for more than a millennium to justify the seduction, coercion, torture, and even murder of countless individuals in trying to get them to convert.

This does not mean that missionaries as a group have not done many good things for people over the millennia, and some continue to have positive impacts in the lives of the poor and needy. Examples of this can be seen currently in both Haiti and Chile. However, the negative actions of those who focus is proselytization far outweigh the positive.

Religion is simultaneously one of the best as well as one of the most destructive of human creations. Religions have inspired people like Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King to selflessly serve others and work to make the world a better place. Religions have also given rise to an ideology of hatred and have provided justification for the kinds of evils perpetuated by the likes of Aurangzeb, Hitler, and bin Laden.

Proselytizers are fundamentalists whose ideology divides the world into "believers" and "non-believers." The latter comprise all those who are different, those perceived as the "other." One of the biggest difficulties that we face in this world is our distrust of others, a feeling that leads to fear, hate, and violence. In his 1991 documentary entitled "Beyond Hate," Bill Moyers addresses concepts such as "insider and outsider," "us and other," etc. and the pivotal role this bifurcated view plays in justifying hatred and violence. Proselytizers thrive on these distinctions, these divisions, drawing sharp lines between their own beliefs and those of everyone else. Non-believers are seen as lesser, sometimes even as evil, and clearly in need to either being changed or, in the extreme, annihilated.

More wars have been fought because of narrow religious doctrine and beliefs than for any other reason, and Christians and Muslims have been at the forefront. Both their histories are punctuated with wars against people of other religions, and the paths they have followed are riddled with the bodies of millions of innocent victims. One of the more extreme examples is the case of Timur, the 14th-century Muslim conqueror. In December, 1398, he overthrow the reigning Muslim ruler in Delhi. His justification was that the ruling dynasty was too tolerant of Hindus and did not convert them. Timur happily recounts in his memoirs that in the process of taking over, his army slaughtered 100,000 Hindus in a single day.

Forced conversions continue, as is evident by events in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Egypt. Even in the Gaza strip, two western newsman were recently forced to convert at gunpoint. Just last week, two young Sikh men were kidnapped and beheaded by members of the Taliban in Pakistan for refusing to convert to Islam. While such actions clearly do not represent the vast majority of Muslims, they have been condoned and even justified by fundamentalist Muslim leaders, and very few Muslims speak out in opposition, often out of fear. A recent and welcome exception is Dr. Tahir ul-Qadri, an influential Pakistani Muslim scholar, who just released a 600-page fatwa (religious edict) condemning Muslim terrorism and suicide bombings. Although it is a powerful and needed statement, it is a rarity, and Dr. ul-Qadri has unfortunately put his own life in danger in the process. Fundamentalists, irrespective of their chosen ideology, find disagreement difficult to allow, and violence has increasingly become a common reaction.

Christian missionaries in the past were not much better. In addition to the violence in the name of Christianity that was perpetuated during the Crusades and the Inquisitions, a look at the early proselytization efforts in India, the Americas, and the Pacific makes it clear that many missionaries found relatively easy justification for the torture and execution of those who refused to become Christian or who challenged their beliefs. Although nowadays most Christian proselytizers have renounced such violence, groups like the Manmasi National Christian Army in Assam, India, continue to use threats to force conversion.

Most European and American Christian missionaries during the last two centuries in Asia have found offers of food, work, education, and health care to be better methods for gaining converts. In the late 1700s, missionaries followed on the heels of the British East India Company and began a concerted effort to take over the Indian soul. Once the British government took control the country, proselytizers had a relatively free reign to pursue their objectives. Again, some missionaries did good works, but those focused on proselytization showed little actual concern for the well being of those they sought to convert.

Many Hindus had hoped that Indian Independence would help curtail the more underhanded activities of the missionaries, but this did not happen. Less than a decade after Independence, a government study conducted in central India known as the Niyogi Report brought to light many of the underhanded and cynical methods that Christian missionaries were continuing to use. The Indian government did little about it, and as a consequence, many of the same tactics remain prevalent.

Currently, Americans donate millions of dollars annually to Christian organizations that advertise charity work they do around the world. While it is true that some organizations do help many people, the assistance of many such groups comes with a price for the people being helped. That is because the real focus of most missionaries is on their proselytization efforts, for which a significant portion of the money is used. Far too often, their activities have absolutely nothing to do with spirituality or real charity, and everything to do with getting names and numbers of converts, so the missionaries can go back to their funding agencies and supporters and ask for continued finances for their claimed "successes."

In India, missionaries tell their supporters in the U.S. that they provide free or inexpensive services to the needy. However, once initial assistance is given, then conditions are often added for subsequent help. If free education is provided, conversion may then be a requirement for its continuance past a certain point. If aid is in the form of health care, then the quality of care or type of medicine and treatment available may be determined by one's willingness to convert. This becomes a serious and difficult issue for parents who bring a sick or injured child to a missionary hospital. They may be told that the necessary care is only given to Christians, or that the required medicines "will only work" on Christians. For those who do convert in order to receive needed care, they may well be pressured to then convert other family members or else lose whatever aid they are receiving. I have seen families torn apart by such missionary activities in Central India where I conduct research. Again, this is not what all missionaries do, but these are fairly common occurrences.

In early 2009, Pope Benedict XVI met the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and agreed to stop all conversion attempts directed at Jews. A month later, Cardinal Jean-Louis Pierre Tauran, president of Vatican's Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, visited India and was asked while there if he would offer Hindus the same respect. He refused. There is a degree to narrow mindedness in every religious tradition, but when that is coupled with fundamentalist arrogance and powerful backing, nothing good can come from it.

In his "Seeds of Contemplation," the late Catholic Trappist monk and mystic Thomas Merton warns about those with spiritual pride who think of themselves as having the truth and humility while others do not, who think they are suffering for God's sake but deep inside are becoming full of pride in their supposed sanctity, who think that everyone else must adhere to their truth. Merton writes that when such an individual thinks that "he is messenger of God or a man with a mission to reform the world. . . He is capable of destroying religion and making the name of God odious to men."

I am a strong supporter of freedom of religion. Most proselytizers are not. They want the freedom to coerce vulnerable and gullible individuals into converting, and they can justify many nefarious methods to accomplish their goal. No matter how well intentioned, any attempts to push a religious belief or denomination on someone ultimately benefits no one and demeans the religion in the process. If missionaries actually have something of genuine worth and value, why do they need to seduce, coerce, or threaten people to get them to accept it? Maybe their methods suggest that what they have to offer is not that worthwhile

RAMDAS LAMB

BJP National President, Shri Nitin Gadkari appoints a Study Group to prepare India Vision 2025 Document

Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Gadkari has set up a Study Group to prepare a vision document namely “India Vision 2025”. This vision document, the first of its type being prepared by a national political party; aims at putting forth the contours of BJP’s vision of national development with all its dimensions. From Agriculture to Infrastructure and Tribal Development to Energy it will focus mainly on over 50 subjects covering all major areas of national development.

The study group set up for the preparation of this Vision Document will be headed by Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar as its convener. Party’s national executive member and industrialist Rajesh Shah will be its joint convener. BJP plans to involve and elicit inputs from researchers, experts and others even beyond the party fold.

The first meeting of this study group was held in the capital on July 24 in which besides Party President Nitin Gadkari, General Secretary Jagat Prakash Nadda, Treasurer Piyush Goyal, besides Rajeev Chnadrashekhar and Rajesh Shah participated. Also present were party functionaries like National Executive Member Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Journalist Kanchan Gupta, IT Professional Rajesh Jain and experts like M P Kumar, Neelesh Kulkarni and K V Raju etc. In the meeting CII’s Hari Bhartiya also made a brief presentation and shared his organisation’s vision.

This vision document will cover all areas of governance and public policy. To start with, this group will initially focus upon Urban Affairs, Energy and Water Resources. Besides, over 50 subjects viz. transport, rural development, information technology, telecommunication, irrigation, water transport and river connectivity, forest management, mining, industry, trade and commerce, textiles, fisheries and aqua culture, aviation, disaster management, law and judiciary, education, sports, and culture and many more such issues will be covered under this ambitious project.

BJP plans to take make this Vision Document a movement that will provide a forum to the people with innovative ideas and concepts for grass root development. It may be noted that earlier, before the last assembly elections in Maharashtra (2009) too BJP had prepared a Maharashtra Vision Document. Besides, BJP’s Karnataka government too has prepared a comprehensive Vision Document about two years before.

A portal will also be launched for this purpose in due course. BJP has extended an earnest appeal to all those who desire to participate in this project. Those who would like to give some suggestions and inputs for this Vision Document are requested to visit the website www.bjp.org/vision2025 and put forth their ideas and suggestions. Also, those wanting to send in their suggestions through an e-mail can write to vision2025@bjp.org The suggestions could be sent in before 31st October 2010.

Press statement issued by National General Secretary, Shri Vijay Goel

कांग्रेस - नीत यूपीए सरकार की गलत आर्थिक नीतियों, कुप्रबंधन और भ्रष्टाचार के परिणामस्वरूप आज महंगाई सारी सीमाओं को पार कर गई है। भाजपा इस यूपीए सरकार के जन-विरोधी नीतियों के विरूध्द सड़क से लेकर संसद तक अपना विरोध जारी रखेगी। इसी क्रम में बेलगाम बढ़ती महंगाई के विरूध्द आम जनता में जागरूकता पैदा करने व केन्द्र सरकार द्वारा पैट्रोल, डीज़ल, कैरोसीन व रसोई गैस की बढ़ी कीमतों को वापस लेने के उद्देश्य से भाजपा ने देशव्यापी हस्ताक्षर अभियान चलाया था। इस अभियान के तहत लगभग 10 करोड़ लोगों ने महंगाई विरोधी हस्ताक्षर अभियान में हस्ताक्षर कर अपना विरोध प्रदर्श्ाित किया है। दिनांक 29 जुलाई, 2010 को यह देशव्यापी हस्ताक्षरित ज्ञापन महामहिम राष्ट्रपति महोदया को सौंपा जाएगा। इस अवसर पर राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री नितिन गडकरी, भाजपा के सभी राष्ट्रीय पदाधिकारी, भाजपा के सभी वरिष्ठ नेतागण, सभी प्रदेशों के प्रदेश अध्यक्ष, एवं सभी सांसद सम्मिलित होंगे।


जहां भारत के लोग बढ़ती कीमतों के नीचे सिसक रहे हैं, वहीं आम आदमी पर कांग्रेस का हमला बदस्तूर जारी है। लोगों के घावों पर मरहम लगाने की बजाय कांग्रेस उन पर नमक छिड़कने पर तुली हुई है। पहले, केन्द्रीय बजट और फिर दिल्ली स्टेट के बजट ने लोगों की कमर तोड़ दी। केन्द्रीय बजट के द्वारा पैट्रोल, डीज़ल, उर्वरकों के मूल्य बढ़ाए गए, जिनका मुद्रास्फीति पर कुप्रभाव पड़ा और अन्य करों में भी वृध्दि हो गई। साथ ही सेवा कर ने भी आम आदमी पर भारी बोझ डाल दिया। फिर जून माह में पैट्रोल डीज़ल कैरोसिन ऑयल एवं रसोई गैस के दामों में फिर से वृध्दि की गई परिणामस्वरूप महंगाई थमने के बजाय बेहताशा बढ़ती ही जा रही है। आश्चर्य तो यह है कि एक तरफ तो महंगाई बढ़ रही है, दूसरी तरफ केंद्र में बैठी सरकार के मंत्री चुप्पी साधे बैठे है। देश के अर्थशास्त्री प्रधानमंत्री अनुभवी वित्त मंत्री भविष्यवाणियां कर रहें हैं। कुछ माह में महंगाई कम होने की बात की जा रही है कांग्रेसनीत सरकार आश्वासन ही देती रही है कि मंहगाई कम होगी। लेकिन मंहगाई रूकने का नाम ही नही ले रही है। कालाबाजारी, स्टॉककिस्ट बढ़ रही हैं। सरकार की नीतियॉ असफल साबित हो रही है। यही नही सरकार जो नीतियां बना रही है, उससे मंहगाई और भी बढ़ती जा रही है।


अब देश के लोगों ने महसूस कर लिया है कि मूल्यवृध्दि कांग्रेस की जन-विरोधी नीतियों का ही परिणाम है - चाहे वह आयात-निर्यात हो, राजकोषीय मामला हो, खाद्य स्टॉक का प्रबंधन हो तथा वायदा बाजार आदि के बारे में लिए गए निर्णय हों। थोक मूल्य सूचकांक दो अंकों में प्रवेश कर रहा है, खाद्य पदार्थों के मूल्य लगभग 16 प्रतिशत ऊंचे हो रहे हैं।


कांग्रेस ने अपने चुनावी घोषणा पत्र में यह वायदा किया था कि महज सौ दिन में ही हम महंगाई कम कर देंगे। वह महंगाई, जिसकी मार आम जनता यूपीए-I के शासनकाल के अंतिम वर्षों में झेल रही थी। यूपीए-II के शासन के सौ दिन पूरे हुए और महंगाई कम होने की बजाय कई गुना बढ़ गई। एक वर्ष पूरे होने के पश्चात् भी महंगाई की रफ्तार घटने के बजाय बढ़ती ही चली गई।


आश्चर्य है - एक अर्थशास्त्री प्रधानमंत्री के शासनकाल में मंहगाई बेलगाम बढ रही है और प्रधानमंत्री महोदय इस विषय पर कुछ भी कर पाने में असफल साबित हो रहे हैं।


भाजपा मांग करती हे कि प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह देश की जनता को बताएं कि आखिर इस बढती हुई मंहगाई को रोकने के लिए प्रधानमंत्री व सरकार कौन कौन से कदम उठा रही हैं। या यह सब आश्वासन महज एक भुलावा है।

Press statement issued by BJP National Vice President, Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Bhartiya Janata Party’s National Vice - President Shri Mukthar Abbas Naqvi cautioned the Congress Party to desist from shedding “AFZALI TEARS” (Afzali Aansu) on terrorism.

Sh. Naqvi added that entire country is irked on the weak policy and attitude of the Congress Party and the UPA government led by it towards terrorism, separatism and Naxalism. Moreover, the Congress Party is promoting terrorism in stead of crushing it.

Shri Naqvi observed that Congress wants all political parties and leaders of the country should keep mum on terrorism like its president Smt. Sonia Gandi and its crown-prince Shri Rahul Gandhi. That is why the Congress Party opens new front against each leader who opposes terrorism.


Shri Naqvi observed that country’s Muslims don’t hold terrorist Afzal Guru and Osama Bin Laden as their icon, but the Congress Party attempts to divert the attention of the people from real terrorism by turning the terrorism as “Hindu – Muslim terrorism”.

Five posers from the Congress Party

1.Why the report of the Congress Government does say that the law and order situation of the country can worsen on putting Afzal Guru at gallows?


2.Why the Congress Party is shedding all-round “Afzali tears” on its complete failures on terrorism, separatism and Naxalism?


3.Why the Congress Party is attempting to divert the attention of the people from real terrorism by terming terrorism as “Hindu-Muslim terrorism?


4.Why the Congress Party wants the BJP to keep mum on terrorism, separatism and Naxalism like Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi?


5.Why the Congress Party is abusing the patriotism of crores of Muslims by branding voices against terrorism as “voices against Muslims”?

BJP Condemns Ranganath Misra Commission Report

The Ranganath Misra Commission Report: A tool for vote bank politics
The Ranganath Misra Report is not unanimous.
The report recommends, amongst other things, 15 per cent reservation to minorities in education,Central and State Government jobs and social welfare schemes in the OBC quota. Out of 15 per cent,the report recommends 10 per cent to Muslims and remaining 5 per cent to other minorities. It alsorecommends the inclusion of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims in the list of Scheduled Castes. However,Smt Asha Das, its Member Secretary has submitted her dissenting opinion opposing the inclusion of DalitChristians and Dalit Muslims in the category of Scheduled Castes.At present all minorities including the so called Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians are entitled toreservation of 8.4 per cent out of 27 per cent reservation meant for OBC. If the reservation percentagefor minorities is increased from 8.4 per cent to 15 per cent, then the share for OBC will be reduced to 12 percent only, thus causing injustice, humiliation and social disharmony to OBC, whose population is estimated at52 per cent as per the Mandal Commission Report.The reservation percentage based on population is permissible under the Constitution only to the ScheduledCastes and Scheduled Tribes (15 per cent and 7.5 per cent respectively) and to no other section of thesociety.
It may be difficult to fault the rationale adopted during British rule, and continued after Independence,behind identification of depressed classes/scheduled castes on the basis of untouchability relateddisabilities which were peculiar to the Hindu society, arising from a highly rigid caste system. The ScheduledCastes Order of 1936 was based on "caste" and its application to the Hindu religion is apparent from the factthat paragraph 3 of the Order issued on April 30, 1936 provides clearly that "No Indian Christian shall bedeemed to be member of a Scheduled Caste". The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 was basedon the Constitution (SC) Order of 1936 and adopted the same criteria for identification of castes i.e. practicesand prejudices arising from untouchability that had plagued Hindu society for centuries and had resulted inthe social, educational and economic backwardness of the castes enlisted. The 1956 and 1990 amendmentsto the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 have been justified on the ground that the Sikh and theBuddhist religions were primarily home-grown sects within the Hindu religion rather than being independentreligions in the nature of Christianity or Islam . Besides they draw support form explanation II belowArticle 25 of the Constitution which provides that reference to Hindu in Sub-clause (b) of clause (2) ofArticle 25 shall be construed as including a reference to persons professing the Sikh, Jain orBuddhist religion.
The Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order 1950 enlist those castes, identified on the criteria of extreme formof social, economic and educational backwardness arising due to age-old practice of untouchability becauseof caste system, an inherent feature of Hindus social structure. This is in conformity with the Provisions of1/3 Article 341 of the Constitution. This also get support from the debated in the Constituent Assembly whichrecognised that "the Scheduled Castes were a backward section of the society, handicapped by the practiceof untouchability and that this evil practice of untouchability was not recognised by any other religion". Theobservation of the Commission that the caste system in India prevails in all religions irrespective of the Islamand Christianity claiming otherwise. This view, being illogical, is unacceptable. These two religions proclaimtheir social structure free from caste system, untouchability and caste-based discrimination. The RanganathMisra Commission cannot dictate or thrust its opinion on the Christian Popes or Muslim Maulavis.If the Government decides to grant Scheduled Caste status to the converts, it will amount to formalintroduction of caste system in Islam/Christianity and thus changing the basic tenets of these religions, whichis outside the jurisdiction of both the Parliament and the Judiciary and also contrary to the provisions ofQuran and Bible. According to the Poor Christian Liberation Movement (PCLM) and Indian ChristianRighteous Action Forum (ICRA) leaders Shri RL Francis and Shri Joseph G Anthony the report is a "Pill worstthan disease" and the reservation based on religion is not only unconstitutional, it would also create badblood between minorities and the Hindu Dalits and OBCs. They further added that "PCLM and ICRA Forum,an independent body of Christians, opposes the Ranganath Misra Report and have urged theGovernment of Dr Manmohan Singh to ignore its recommendations. "
Even though those who profess Christianity or Islam were never treated as Scheduled Castes in British Indiaor in India after Independence, efforts have been made from time to time to seek conferment of ScheduledCaste status on persons of Scheduled Caste origin professing Christianity. Private Members Bill had beenmoved more than once. The National Convention of the Parliamentary Forum of the ScheduledCastes/Scheduled Tribes in 1992 also passed a resolution for extending reservation facility to persons ofScheduled Caste origin to Christianity. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 (Amendment Bill)was also prepared in 1996 though never introduced. The views of the various Central Ministers/Departmentsand State Governments were obtained in this regard. They drew attention to the debate of the ConstituentAssembly and pointed out the difficulty for determining the precise number of persons who would be covered.The absence of any suggestion on the cut-off date for determining who would benefit was also pointed out. Itwas also mentioned by several states and commissions that there was no justification for includingScheduled Caste converts to Christianity in the list of Scheduled Castes. There would be enormousdifficulty in identification of the original cast in the absence of authentic records.There is a ceiling on the reservation percentage fixed by the Supreme Court at 50 per cent. Thereservation percentage at national level has been earmarked, on the basis of 1961 census, 15 per cent to theScheduled Castes 7.5 per to the Scheduled Tribes and 27 per cent to the OBC. The total comes to 49.5 percent which is nearer to 50 per cent. Those who plead reservation to the converts outside 15 per cent quotameant for the Scheduled Castes, are not possibly aware of the 50 per cent ceiling.