Patna: After giving credit to RJD president Lalu Prasad and other socialist leaders for “forcing the Centre” to conduct a nationwide caste census, former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, making a slew of demands, including reservation in the private sector, contracts, and the judiciary.
In the letter, RJD leader Tejashwi said, “The private sector, which has been a major beneficiary of public resources, cannot remain insulated from social justice imperatives. Companies have received substantial benefits – land at concessional rates, power subsidies, tax exemptions, infrastructure support, and various financial incentives – all funded by taxpayer money.”
“In return, it is entirely reasonable to expect them to reflect the social composition of our country. The context created by the caste census must be used to have open conversations about inclusivity and diversity in the private sector,” he remarked.
“Prime Minister, your government now stands at a historic crossroads. The decision to conduct the caste census can be a transformative moment in our nation’s journey towards equality. The question is: will the data be used as a catalyst for systemic reforms, or will it be confined to dusty archives like many previous commission reports?”
"…conducting the caste census is merely the first step of the long journey towards social justice. The census data must lead to a comprehensive review of social protection and reservation policies. The arbitrary cap on reservations will have to be reconsidered.
“We have a critical opportunity to correct enduring injustices in the upcoming delimitation exercise. The redrawing of constituencies should be sensitive to and reflective of the census data,” he added.
“Special provisions must be made for adequate political representation of OBCs and EBCs who have been systematically excluded from decision-making forums. Hence, they will need to be expanded based on the proportional representation principle in assemblies and the parliament,” he noted.
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