SHRI MANIKRAO HODLYA GAVIT (Nandarbar): Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am also thankful to you for giving me an opportunity to speak on this Bill. I am also thankful to Rawat Saheb who has expressed his views on Schedule-Castes, Schedule Tribes and backward castes in the House.
Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am a tribal and in each State come castes want to be included in ST list. They may have different problems. There are Tribal Research Institutes and Departments in every State and they conduct research on it. After research work of hundreds of years they indemnify castes which originally belong to Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes and the castes which want to be included in their lists. So far as I know people belonging to Schedule Castes are not getting those facilities which they are entitled to get. In my State of Maharashtra several people are availing its benefits on the false Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes certificates in jobs and education. In fact, people who belong to Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes live in hill and rural areas and people who want to be included in this list lives in cities. This is the age of competitions and importance is given to merit in every sphere of life.
The real tribal people live in hill and rural areas. Therefore, they cannot come in merit list. And the bogus tribals living in cities and who have arranged caste certificates form 1977-78 availed of the benefits from the State Governments and the Central Governments in jobs, education and in every sphere of life. The hon. Minister of Welfare and the Government of India should pay attention to this and the real tribals living in hills and rural areas and backward areas whose names figure in old lists should not be deprived of these facilities. I am very thankful to Rawat Sahib who expressed his views on backward classes in the House. There should be no injustice to the real Schedule castes and Schedule tribes. They are deprived of the benefits admissible to them in education and service. The Government says that it will fill the backlog of vacancies for Schedule Castes and Schedules Tribes but it is not being filled yet. It is only being shown on
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[Sh. Manikrao Hodlya Gavit]
papers that the Government is filling the backlog of vacancies in respect of SC/ST. It has not been filled in Maharashtra. I don't know the position in respect of other States. How many vacancies are there in offices and departments of Government of India in Delhi. People live in Delhi in the name of Schedule of Castes and Schedule Tribes.
We find that people belonging to Schedule Tribes live in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They live in hills and forests, They are deprived of these tacilites. Even today they are not getting these facilities.
Therefore, I request the Government of India, especially Shri Rawat Saheb that if the Government wants to include some other castes in the original list of Schedule Tribes, it should first conduct a research on it. The Tribal Research Department should conduct the research and go through past 3-4 hundred years record and make further inclusion. Bogus, and forged cast whose educational and economic condition is sound should not be included. Thanking to Mr. Deputy Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to speak. I request Rawat Saheb to withdraw the bill and also request the Central Government to ensure that no injustice is done to people belonging to Schedule Tribes. With this I conclude.
SHRI VIRENDER SINGH (Mirzapur): Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I fully support the Bill that has been brought forward by the hon. Member, Shri Bhagwan Shankar Rawat for inclusion of Banjara caste in the list of Schedule Caste. I would like to say a few words on the reservation provided to Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes and their progress through reservation. The State Governments as well as the Central Government which talks about reservation of backward classes, Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes should have a clear outlook a clear policy and good intentions in this regard. Any facility extended for the purpose of mobilising votes, for winning elections or gaining political mileage is a clear indication of a worng policy and doubtful intention, Therefore, policy and intention should be
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flawless. Our policies and intentions should be flawless in regard to providing reservation to SCs and STs. How many of people who fall under reservation category get the benefit of reservation? How many people, who live in villages know about reservation policy? They should know about it. I understand that educated people in the villages, who themselves are availing the benefits of reservation do not encourage other people belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to avail the benefits of reservation policy as a result of which the people of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, who dwell in villages, are not able to take benefits of reservation. Some arrangements should be made so that the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes people living in the villages, are not able to avail the benefits under reservation policy. There are some castes which do not come under reserve category such as bharbhuja. They should be brought under provisions of reservation. The Muslim dhobhis belonging to Baiswar community living in Mirzapur district and the Sidhi and Riva districts in Madhya Pradesh do not come under reserve category in Madhya Pradesh while they come under this category in Uttar Pradesh There are some castes which come under reserve category in a particular State while these are not convered under reservation in some other States. A survey should be conducted and guidelines should be chalked out so that a particular caste in every State should be declared A Scheduled Caste. The standard of living of those persons who come under reserve category is not going to rise. The inferiority complex in them will have to be removed. The people who talks about social justice should go to villages and see that some of those who come under reserve category have developed inferiority complex. How they can be helped to over come the inferiority complex? How can you provide reservation facilities to them? When the inferiority complex develops, you can not remove it by providing jobs and you can not uplift them in this way. You will have to boost their moral so that they should never think themselves as down trodden and consider their lives a burden. Only then you can talk of giving social justice to them. The people
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living in the Adivasi areas have a natural aptitude for sports. The games they play, should be associated with the culture of the village and they should be associated. Such as an Adivasi boy can practise archery with great expertise but a boy living in the city can not do so. In the same way the expertise with which a sailor's son can do sailing and swimming an ordinary man living in cities can not do so.
Therefore, those who live in villages have a natural aptititde. Their such an aptitude should be encouraged and the inferiority complex among them should be removed and their standard of living be raised, The clarity of policy and intention which I have talked about, will also be reflected by it and they will get the benefits of reservation.
With these words, I conclude and support this bill.
[English]
SHRI P.C. CHACKO (Trichur): Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman. I support the Bill moved by Shri Bhagwan Shankar Rawat, to include the Banjara community in the List of Scheduled Tribes.
On this occasion, while supporting this Bill, I would like to make a few relevant points because this is probably during the last one year at least half-a-dozen times, similar Bills were brought to the Parliament for including some community or the other like the Banara community which are the omitted communities for inclusion in the List of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. This issue comes up very often because a very scientific assessment about the whole situation is not taken yet. I think, during this discussion, it is, most appropriate to suggest that an all-party committee may be constituted for this purpose. A high level committee should go in to the aspect. There are demands from various State about the communities which are eligible to be included in the Scheduled Tribes List but are omitted from that List for various reasons. This is continuing even after so many years of our concern for the Scheduled tribes. Even today morning's discussion started with the concern of the House for the Scheduled Castes and Tribes. Now it is a competition among the parties.
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They are blaming other parties. Some are saying that they are more close to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled tribes. This sort of competition is going on. Actually the House was stalled for almost two hours today to establish who is more close to the Scheduled Castes.
Anyway, it is good that Shri Bhagwan Shankar Rawat's party is also supporting this. That is a very good thing. I am not saying that they are against the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.; But when they are posing such issues a near unanimity is emerging in this House. This atmosphere should be utilised to settle this issue on a permanent basis.
There are other communities eligible to be included in the Scheduled Castes and Tribes List. Those who want to celebrate the first anniversary, the second anniversary or the third anniversary and the things like that, they should apply their mind very seriously to this issue. We should not take up the issues on a piecemeal basis, We are bringing certain things which suits us;we are bringing certain things when elections come. The commitment of to Congress Party to the cause of Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes is second the none.
No other party in this country can claim that they are more interested in the welfare of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. The ruling party in this country very rarely gets an opportunity to agree with Shri Bhagwan Shankar Rawat's party. I appreciate him. But I request him that on issues like on the problems of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled tribes when it come up, we should have consensus. Some people think that they can resolve the problem through confrontation. Some people think that they can drag on the whole thing to the court and get it done. But these are not the solutions. The responsible political parties of this country at least those parties who have got representation in the House should sit together and come out with consensus and common understanding about the problems. No doubt, the Banajara community should be included in this List. I whole-heartedly support this. But at the same time, similar situation may come in the form of a resolution or in the form of a Bill in this House. That
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[Sh. P.C. Chacko]
means many such communities and small groups are to be included.
Including come community is not going to solve their problem as rightly mentioned by many hon. Members because these communities for many reasons, for centuries, for thousands of years, are being neglected and are lagging behind in special progress. That has been the bane of our society. So we have to bring them up. Reservation alone is not the panacea as many people have said. Many things have to be done. This is also required a sort of understanding, a sort of consensus, a sort of common thinking. I think this is one such occasion when we can think in the same wave-length. Think of some common solutions to the problem of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Interruptions)
[Translation]
SHRI RAJESH KUMAR (Gaya): I would like to submit that the Bill which is to be considered after this fill is very important one. This Bill has been discussed for two hours, the coming Bill should also be kept in view, since it is already half past five, it should be take up for consideration otherwise it will be lapsed.
[English]
MR. DEPUTY SPEAKER: A Bill does not lapsed.
SHRI P.C. CHACKO: I hope, all those who has spoken this issue agree with the spirit of the Bill and they are supporting the Bill. I hope they would not under-estimate the importance of this Bill. We all agree with the importance of other Bills before this house. But this being a very important subject I hope that everybody who wants to speak on this Bill or who wants to express their opinion on this Bill will be given a chance. But this issue may be considered at least by all the parties concerned because very often we come across such a situation. Even today, we witnessed such a situation. The thing is that after passing this Bill- this is only an
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amendment to an order - this issue is forgotten. When the same issues come up some day, we again begin thinking on these things. Otherwise, we remember all the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes only next year on the same day, that is, on the next anniversary. That happens to be our styles of thinking. So, I feel that a consensus on basic issues of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes should emerge.
And with words I support this Amendment Bill moved by Shri Bhagwan Shankar Rawat and I strongly plead that the Banjara community should be included in the Scheduled Tribes List.
[Translation]
SHRI CHHEDI PASWAN (Sasaram): Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir,, I want to speak in favour of the Bill, brought by hon. member, Shri Bhagwan Shankar Rawat. The Banjara caste of Uttar Pradesh, for which this Bill has been brought for inclusion into the list of the Scheduled Caste, is neglected, exploited and down trodden one. It must be included in the list of the Scheduled Casts.
Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I say one thing firmly that the Banjara caste must be included in the list but the limit of 24 per cent reservation should be raised., Even after 45 years of independence, the facilities, which the Scheduled Caste people should have, are not being given to them since the other castes have also been included in this list. Those who have been neglected previously, should not be neglected now by including of new castes. Therefore, my suggestion is that they should get full facilities. Shri Virendra Singh, ji, has stated in his balanced speech that the people of Scheduled Castes and ScheduledTribes are suffering from inferiority complex in villages, therefore, they should get full facilities of reservation.
With these words, I support this Bill.
SHRI RAM TAHAL CHOUDHARY (Ranchi): Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill on Scheduled Castes brought forward by Shri Bhagwan Shankar Rawat, I also
505 Half an-Hour Discussion Smuggling of Children to Arab Countries support the proposal of including Banjaras in the list of Scheduled Castes.
Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I come from the Chotanagpur area of Bihar. There are certain castes which must be included in the list of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Their living style and culture are analogous to that of Scheduled Tribes. They are poor.
I was saying that there are certain castes that need to be included in the list of Scheduled Tribes. They have always been launching an agitation and presenting memorandum to the Government with the demand of including them in the list of Scheduled Tribes.
[English]
MR. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Shri Choudhary, the time allotted for the Private Members `Business is over. So, you may continue your speech next time.
Now, the House shall take up Half-an-Hour discussion regarding smuggling of children to Arab countries, Shri Rabi Ray.