UDAIPUR : The Congress has decided to undertake a major social re-engineering by reserving 50% of all party posts for SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities, and demanding a nationwide caste-based census. It also sought reservation in private sector for SCs, STs and OBCs, and quota for SC and ST women in the Women’s Reservation Bill. The proposal has been made by the party’s panel on social justice and empowerment. It would be placed for approval at the Congress Working Committee that is scheduled to meet on Sunday.
The party has also decided to set up a social justice advisory council for the Congress president. This council would examine issues concerning the above-mentioned weaker sections and give recommendations to the party president. To start with, the council would collect demographic data to help the party implement quota in the party organisation. It has been decided that a special CWC session would be called every six months to exclusively discuss and address issues facing these sections.
Member of the social justice committee Kumari Selja said the political landscape has changed and the party needs to change accordingly. She said the committee has also recommended job reservation in the private sector for the SCs, STs and OBCs. Another member K Raju said the party’s task is cut out. “We have to include in the decision-making process all those sections that have so far been unrepresented.” The party has decided to launch a campaign to pass the women’s reservation bill for quota in Parliament and state legislatures. Salman Khurshid said the party also wants a quota within the women’s reservation bill for women belonging to all castes and religions.
Khurshid said the party panel is examining all aspects of the proposed reservation in order to make sure it passes judicial scrutiny. The party, he said, would press for a nationwide caste census that the government is not conducting in spite of demand by almost all political parties. He also sought a law to implement the SC/ST sub plan introduced by Indira Gandhi to allocate a separate budget for these groups in all government departments.