RSS outfit holds conclave to discuss SC status for converted Dalits

The Centre had last year appointed a commission headed by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) K G Balakrishnan to examine the issue

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) outfit Vishwa Samvad Kendra (VSK) is holding a two-day conclave where it intends to collate and discuss academic literature on reservation, which will help it submit its and the Sangh Parivar's position on issue of inclusion of converted Dalits as 'Scheduled Caste'.

The Centre had last year appointed a commission headed by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) K G Balakrishnan to examine giving SC status to people who claim to "historically" have belonged to the SCs but have converted to a religion other than those mentioned in the Presidential orders.

In this conclave on 'Conversion and reservation', academics across india have submitted 60 papers. According to a report in The Hindu, most of these academics are affiliated with the RSS, VHP or other Sangh Parivar outfits. These will be discussed in nine separate sessions, which will cover various aspects, such as history, development abd the evolution of the Constitution, SCs and reservations.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) stand has remained that religious converts should not be given the benefit of reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes because it is askin to taking "double benefit".

However, it had no complaint if anyone from Buddhism or Sikhism was taking "double benefit", adding that Christianity and Islam were not religions born in India.

At the inaugural session on Saturday, Alok Kumar, Senior Advocate and Central Working President of the VHP was reported as saying that the history of reservation had shown that SC status is related to the practice of untouchability, which was unfortunately a feature “only of Hindu society”.
He also said that Islam and Christianity had made claims of being casteless, but now were saying something else. “They can’t have it both ways,” he said.

(With PTI inputs)