MALKANGIRI: In support of the National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations (NACDAOR) and its call for a Bharat Bandh on August 21, the Malkangiri District SC & ST Association United Coordination Committee has announced a Malkangiri Bandh on Wednesday. The bandh is in protest against the Supreme Court’s recent verdict on the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes.
At a press conference held on Monday, committee president Jara Sabar Madhi, along with other leaders, condemned the Supreme Court’s judgement, calling it against the spirit of the Constitution and a disrespect to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
The bandh will take place from 6 am to 6 pm, during which all commercial establishments, shops, schools, and colleges in Malkangiri will remain closed. Vehicular movement will also be halted, although emergency services will not be disrupted, the leaders informed.
On August 1, a seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, in a 6-1 majority verdict, ruled that SCs do not constitute a socially homogeneous class and can be sub-classified by states for providing reservations to the less privileged among them. Four judges favoured excluding the creamy layer from the SC/ST quota.