Below content is translated from Telugu version posted above to english. - Ch. V. Prabhakar Rao, Senior Journalist Recently, an insult was aimed at a Dalit legislative Speaker, and in condemning that insult, Dalit leaders came forward emphasizing, of all things, the [caste of the] person who slapped him. It is right to condemn whoever insulted a Dalit leader. But must the person who did the slapping necessarily be a Dalit? Can't an upper-caste leader slap? Can't a BC leader slap? Can't a Brahmin slap? Can't a woman slap? Why is it that even in movements meant to oppose caste discrimination, caste itself keeps getting used as a yardstick to classify people? This is a matter worth reflecting on in our own conscience. Vedas historically served as convenient scriptural sources for caste discrimination. The Purusha Sukta in the Rig Veda (10.90.12) describes the four varnas in society as originating from the mouth, arms, thighs, and feet [of the cosmic being], and legiti...
T.Chiranjeevulu, IAS (Ret), Founder & President BCIF(BC Intellectuals Forum) This is not merely a demand for a ministry — it is a demand for a separate policy system for the OBCs. Whenever social justice in India is discussed, one question must be asked. There is a separate system for social justice and empowerment for Dalits. There is a separate Ministry of Tribal Affairs for Adivasis. There is a separate Ministry of Minority Affairs for minorities, and a separate Ministry of Women and Child Development for women and children. Then why is there no separate Central Ministry for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), who constitute one of the largest socially and educationally backward sections of the country (52%)? This is not merely an emotional question. It is a question that must be examined from six angles: the Constitution, history, administrative structure, budget, representation, and social justice. It is not that there is no system at all — but there is no separate mini...