The proposed dharna of fishing community of Uttar Pradesh at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Wednesday demanding SC status has been called off as a mark of respect for former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and now the same will be held on August 12. Minister of State for Health Shankhlal Majhi, who is heading this agitation told The Pioneer that over two lakh members from fishing community were supposed to attend the protest but we were forced to postpone the agitation following untimely death of Kalam sahib.
“It is a do or die battle for the fishing community of UP that includes the castes like Nishad, Mallah, Kashyap and Bind to get their identity back. In many states the fishing community is identified as SC but not in Uttar Pradesh. We are fighting to get the SC status for the last 60 years but are not getting favourable response from the Union Government,” Majhi said. Though the dharna is led by members of fishing community the Samajwadi Party has thrown its weight behind this agitation. It eyeing the dalit/backward votes in the 2017 elections thus has asked its members from the neighbouring states to take part in this protest.
Majhi said that when census was held in 1931 then the fishing community was identified as the most socially and economically deprived community. In 1950 when reservation was introduced the fishing community in UP was kept out of Scheduled Caste category. “Many representations have been sent to the Central Government, including one sent by the Akhilesh Yadav Government, but we are yet to get centre’s nod. This is a piquant situation for us. The members of our community are poor but they are not getting antodaya card or other government benefits because they are dalits. We will continue our fight till we succeed,” he said.