Various Scheduled Castes (SC) organisations, which came under one roof on Sunday to discuss the issues plaguing the community, has threatened to stage region-wide protests if the Centre fails to fill the vacant posts in the National Scheduled Caste Commission.
“The Governments in Punjab and at the Centre have completely failed in protecting and safeguarding the rights for the SC community…Vacancy for the post of Commission’s chairperson since last year is one prime example of how the Government is ignoring the community,” said a prominent Dalit leader and Chamar
Maha Sabha president Paramjit Singh Kainth.
He alleged that it was a conspiracy and blunt ignorance for protecting the SC rights and development.
At the same time, he condemned the “ignorance”, declaring that to rectify the same, the Chamar Maha Sabha and its brotherly organisations will hand over a memorandum to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Deputy Commissioners in all districts of Punjab.
Kainth added Rs 270 crore are yet to be released for the Post-Matric Scholarship for the Scheduled Castes, Backward and Minority communities.
“The Government is playing foul with the future of young students and ruining their bright futures,” he alleged while questioning the Ministers who voiced their concerns in the newspapers and have not done anything concrete for the community.
He asked for an investigation into the misuse of
these funds. Besides, the issue of 25 percent reservation to various castes and communities guaranteed under the Right to Education Act, was also discussed with the members alleging that the same was not implemented properly in the private schools. It was decided that a delegation would meet the Education Minister to discuss the issue.