KOCHI: The backward communities were not getting their due representation in appointments to the judiciary, said retired district judge Sathyanandan.
He was speaking after inaugurating a seminar on ‘racial discrimination in Kerala politics and denial of reservation in appointments to aided-educational sector’, organised by the Social Justice Forum in Kochi the other day.
Earlier, the Munsif and Magistrate appointments were carried out by the PSC. Now, a committee comprising the High Court and district judges was conducting the appointments. There were allegations ineligible persons were being included in the list based on an examination by the committee.
A case to this effect has been filed before the Supreme Court in the wake of allegation candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Tribes were neglected.
Social Justice Forum state president P A Viswambharan, who presided over the function, said racial discrimination is still prevalent in almost all sectors in the state and the Hindu backward communities are victims of this social bias.
All political parties in Kerala are either headed or controlled by upper caste Hindu-Christian leaders, which is one of reasons for the discrimination, he said. He also said when around 800-odd Supreme Court and High Court judges are appointed by a collegium, the backward communities remain neglected.
The scheduled communities hardly have 2 per cent representation in the judiciary, he said. Though 80 per cent of the Budget allocation for education is being spent in the aided sector in the state, the reservation for backward communities, especially Scheduled Caste and Tribe is zilch, he alleged.
V R Joshi, former Backward Classes Development Corporation director, took part in the discussion. Retired district judge Utharan released the Social Justice bi-weekly at the function by handing over a copy to Poochakkal Purushothaman.
Social Justice Forum state prezspeak
All political parties in Kerala are either headed or controlled by upper caste Hindu-Christian leaders, which is one of reasons for the discrimination
The scheduled communities hardly have 2 per cent representation in the judiciary