Cong may find it tough to get quota for Dalit converts
Subodh Ghildiyal, The Times of India
March 4, 2008
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Cong_may_find_it_tough_to_get_quota_for_Dalit_converts/articleshow/2835301.cms

Congress may have played a strong hand on minority welfare in the populist budget, but organising reservations for sections among minorities, which it is keen on, may be difficult.

Ministry of social justice has asked National Commission for Backward Castes for information about Dalit converts to Islam and Christianity, in a step which could spark controversy and create complications for the moves to organise quota for Dalits other than Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists.

It has asked the OBC panel for names of Dalit castes who have converted to Christianity and Islam, as also "the definition" to determine the Scheduled Castes who embraced the two religions.

It has sought to know the authority which certifies a Christian or a Muslim as a Dalit convert. Not just this, the ministry has also asked the NCBC to provide national population percentage of Dalit converts besides their statewise numbers.

This could defer a decision on extension of quota to Dalit Christians and Muslims by a long time as there is little or no official census data on their population figures. Sources said which caste among the two denominational groups is a Dalit remains unchartered territory in the absence of any official exercise to identify them.

Insiders said there were only unofficial and academic claims on the subject. The reluctance of Christianity and Islam to acknowledge the existence of caste among their followers in India can be another complication.

The ministry of social justice has sought information from NCBC as Christians and Muslims are part of OBC list in states and Centre alike.

The issue got a boost after Rangnath Mishra Commission recommended that SC status be made religion neutral, only to get mired in complications with the National Commission for SCs entering caveats while giving its go-ahead to extension of quota to converts.

In its opinion to the Centre, the Dalit panel said they may be given reservation in proportion to their population but without impacting 15% quota earmarked for SCs while also respecting the Supreme Court's 50% bar on quota.
This may not be possible as the 50% barrier is set to be breached if quota frontiers are pushed to include minorities, as 49.5% quota is already in operation. Though the recommendations are not binding, government will have to tread cautiously in the face of a strong minority "appeasement" campaign by the BJP.

The issue rocked Rajya Sabha on Monday as proponents of quota for converts charged the government with ignoring the issue. As social justice minister Meira Kumar rebutted the allegation saying that the issue had been referred to NCBC, former CEC and Congress MP M S Gill demanded that Christians and Muslims be given SC status, just as Sikhs had got after a struggle. He asked courts not to stand in the way.

JD(U) MP Sharad Yadav said the 50% ceiling set by the apex court should be done away with. He also mocked the SC judges, saying that they selected themselves and did not know the social reality.