New Delhi: The demand to steal the benefit of reservation to allocate it to the converts from the schedule caste is not only anti-constitutional and anti-national but also a daylight operation of dacoity on the rights of Schedule Caste said Dr Surendra Jian, Joint General Secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Monday while interacting with the media personnel.
Speaking on the impact of conversion and how this process is taking away the rights of the downtrodden community, Dr Jain said, "There are multiple examples of mass conversions happening in the country through dubious means. And yet, there is palpable evidence that shows that both Mulsim and Christian organizations and their leaders support the reservation for the people who have now converted to Islam or Christianity, and yet the demand for availing the benefit of reservations is being echoed by them which is a threat to the nation."
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Dr Jain further said that in 1932, while sealing the Poona Pact, Dr Babasaheb Ambdkar and Mahatma Gandhi had agreed on the reservation of SCs. Unfortunately, since 1936 the Christian Missionaries and the Maulvis have unceasingly been raising the demand for reservations for the converted SC persons from the streets to the Parliament. He further reiterated that both Dr Ambedkar and Gandhi had then rejected this demand.
"Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi also rejected this demand. 18% of converted (from Hindus to Muslims or Christians) now occupy 80% of the reservations for the SC community. Look at the condition in Nagaland and of North East states. They take funds from Christian missionaries. These states have also borne the brunt of militancy and there's a huge nexus of conversion there." adds Dr Jain.
VHP has opposed the idea of giving Scheduled Caste status to people who claim to “historically” have belonged to the SCs, but have converted to another religion. Last week, the Union government appointed a commission headed by former CJI K G Balakrishnan to examine the matter.
According to a gazette notification issued by the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry the three-member team also includes retired IAS officer Dr Ravinder Kumar Jain and UGC member Prof, Sushma Yadav.
