RSS warns: No reservation based on religion

(This resolution was adopted at the Mangalore meet of RSS Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha.)

The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha unequivocally expresses its disapproval of the attempts to seek reservations for the converts from SCs. We are against reservation on the basis of religion.

It may be recalled that the apex court has, on numerous earlier occasions, rejected the PILs seeking reservations to converts from SCs. The court has clearly stated that reservations were intended to undo the damage caused to a section of the Hindu society due to caste discrimination resulting in their social disability. The moment a person embraces Islam or Christianity, he ceases to be a part of the Hindu caste system. While converting people, Christian proselytisers proclaim that there will be no caste discrimination in Christianity. How can then they demand reservation for such converts? Will the heads of Christian denominations declare that caste discrimination exists in their religion?

All the Acts—right from the Government of India Act 1935 to SC & ST Act 1950 amended till date-have been very clear on his issue. Founding fathers of our Constitution have discussed and rejected this proposal in the Constituent Assembly. Even the British had rejected similar demand in 1936 for reservation to converts from SCs.

If this demand of the converts from SCs is conceded it will render great injustice to SCs as a large share of the benefit for which they are rightfully entitled will be grabbed away by the converts. Another serious implication will be steep rise in religious conversions among SCs since it will remove a major obstacle for the foreign-funded Christian missionaries who are engaged in religious conversions by hook or by crook. There is already a large section of converts from SCs who continue to hold on to Hindu names and enjoy reservation benefits. These crypto-Christians, who constitute about 2.1 per cent of our population, are depriving SCs of their opportunities. Hence the ABPS unequivocally demands that the central government should fulfill its constitutional obligation of protecting the interests of the SCs by squarely rejecting this demand for reservation to converts from SCs.

The ABPS appeals to all the representatives and leaders of the SCs and their institutions to understand the sinister game plan of the proselytisers behind this demand and render a death blow to their designs. The ABPS is gravely concerned about the proposal for 5 per cent reservation for Muslims in state government services and educational institutions by Andhra Pradesh government and large-scale recruitment of Muslims in state police force by the Assam government.

Recently published list of newly recruited police constables in Assam discloses that about 60 per cent of those employed were Muslims, many of whom are alleged to be infiltrators from Bangladesh. This was a blatant violation of the existing recruitment policy. The state Deputy Home Minister’s statement that it was in line with the population pattern of the state is most reprehensible. These pronouncements are tantamount to succumbing before the vocal minorities for narrow political ends.

The ABPS demands that the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Assam refrain from pursuing such blatantly communal policies in the larger interest of the unity and integrity of the nation. The ABPS compliments the people of Andhra Pradesh and Assam for mounting a powerful popular movement against these acts of their respective state governments.

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