Reservation alone cannot achieve equality

Tirupati: The prevalence of caste- based discrimination in one form or other and glaring inequalities in the society even after 70 years of independence amply reveal that reservation alone is not sufficient to achieve equality, said Justice HN Nagamohan Doss, retired judge of Karnataka High Court. He was speaking at a meeting organised by `Mahabharatha Hakkula Porata Sanghibhava Committee (MHPSC) here on Sunday.

Nagamohan Doss said that reservation saw scores of people becoming MPs, MLAs, ministers, chief ministers, judges of High Courts and Supreme Court and even Chief Justice of India and President of India but equality of people remains far from achieved. In other words political democracy without economic and social democracy cannot ensure equality, he said observing that `the mistake was all these years ignoring economic and social democracy resulting in the caste based discrimination and atrocities still continuing in the society’’.

Despite achieving political democracy, illiteracy, ill health and poverty is still high among Dalits who are also facing more atrocities than any other community he said stressing on linking economic democracy and social democracy with political democracy and also innovative efforts for meaningful implementation of the existing laws to ensure equality and end atrocities on Dalits.

Stating that he was not against any Dharma he said (without directly referring the nationwide protest on banning sale of cow) he oppose Dharma becoming anti people by dictating them what to eat and dress.

He further said some 30 years back, traditional Kashmiri women did not observe burqa but now they have no choice but to opt it bowing to religious elements terrorising them. If politics mixes with religion it produces communalism, he said adding that government should not be influenced by any religious inscriptions and state laws should not be influenced by religious practices.

Dalit Mukti Manch national convener V Srinivasa Rao said that it was the feudal elements still in dominance in rural areas mainly responsible for discrimination of Dalits as they are not prepared to reconcile with the Constitution ensuring equality of all. Only a sustained joint struggle by all concerned citizens including intellectual, human rights activists, social organizations etc. building up mass movement to bring an end to the feudals continuing their writ still in villages.

CPM leader V Nagaraj who presided over the meet explained the discrimination of Dalits in popular religious events like Mahabharatha Utsavalu being held in various places including Pachikapalem in Chittoor district. Though the Dalits were involved by the upper caste in the preparations of the event, they have been kept away from the significant Agni kunda pravesam, Kumba Samarpana etc.

The upper caste land lords are ignoring the revenue and police officials direction against discrimination of Dalits in Mahabharath Utsavalu he said declaring that MHPSC would continue the stir till the Dalits are also involved in the Utsavalu in villages.