Ranchi, June 8: The ruling JMM-Congress-RJD coalition is eyeing to woo Dalit voters by springing up the issue of Scheduled Caste (SC) commission and SC Advisory Council, an issue which has been pushed to the back burner by the BJP regime since 2008.
For the first time in recent years, the state finance minister and Congress leader Radhakrishna Kishore, has raised the demand for the formation of Scheduled Caste State Commission and Scheduled Caste Advisory Council, citing the lack of a united voice for SC community.
He has targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), citing an order issued by the Raj Bhavan in the year 2008, in which such an initiative was talked about, but no concrete steps were taken.
This demand has provided an opportunity for the ruling alliance to prepare new political ground in the Scheduled Caste dominated areas.
Out of 81 seats in Jharkhand Assembly, nine seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes, which play a decisive role in the politics of the state. These include Chhatarpur, Kanke, Jamua, Chatra, Deoghar, Simaria, Jugsalai, Latehar and Chandankiyari.
In the last assembly elections, the ruling alliance has pushed the BJP back on these seats. This initiative of Kishore can give the ruling alliance a chance to make more inroads in these areas. The formation of Scheduled Caste Commission and Advisory Council will increase the acceptance of the alliance among this community.
Radhakrishna Kishore has said that in the year 2008, the Raj Bhavan had issued an order to form a commission and advisory council for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes. At that time the BJP-led government was in power, but no progress was made in this direction.
Kishore alleged that the BJP constantly ignored the interests of the Scheduled Castes, due to which the social and economic progress of this community was hampered.
He said that a dedicated platform is needed to listen and solve the problems of the Scheduled Castes in Jharkhand, which has not been created till now.
Radhakrishna Kishore has tried to strengthen his penetration among the Scheduled Caste community by raising this issue. His demand not only strengthens the social justice agenda of the ruling alliance, but can also prove to be beneficial for the alliance politically.
Recently, the Hemant Soren government has announced the formation of a Scheduled Caste Advisory Council on the lines of Scheduled Tribe Advisory Council.
While Radhakrishna Kishore’s demand has brought the issues of Scheduled Castes to the center, it has become a challenge for the BJP.
However, to implement this proposal, the government will have to take concrete policy steps. If this initiative is successful, it can prove to be a historic step towards the socio-economic uplift of Scheduled Castes in Jharkhand.
