Patna, July 6(BiharTimes): Union minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) chief Jitan Ram Majhi on Monday voiced concern over the socio-economic condition of Scheduled Castes (SCs) in the country and called for the introduction of separate electorates for SCs and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
Addressing party workers during the state council meeting of his party in Patna, Majhi said that despite more than seven decades of Independence, significant disparities continue to persist. He highlighted that the literacy rate among SC communities remains alarmingly low, claiming it to be around 32 per cent.
Majhi argued that the current political representation system has not adequately empowered marginalized communities. He suggested that separate electorates—where only members of SC and ST communities would vote for their representatives—could ensure more effective political participation and leadership from within these groups.
Referring to historical context, the former Bihar chief minister said that if the views of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar had prevailed during the 1932 Poona Pact negotiations, the trajectory of representation for SCs and STs might have been different. “Had separate electorates been implemented as envisioned by Dr. Ambedkar, the outcome for these communities would have been entirely different,” Majhi remarked.
The Poona Pact, signed between Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in 1932, replaced the provision of separate electorates for the Depressed Classes with reserved seats in joint electorates.
Majhi’s remarks are likely to trigger fresh political debate on the issue of representation and empowerment of marginalized communities in India.
