Party urges action on OBC, Dalit, Adivasi quotas in private education and caste census
New Delhi: The Congress has instructed its state units' leaders to highlight the party's demand for quotas for OBCs, Dalits and Adivasis in private educational institutions during the "Samvidhan Bachao" campaign and Rahul Gandhi’s role in forcing the Modi government to announce the caste census.
The party wants its leaders and workers to "expose the BJP's anti-Bahujan' ideology, its resistance to caste enumeration and its efforts to suppress social justice" during the ongoing campaign, which also includes a house-to-house campaign between May 20 and 30.
Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal issued a circular to its state units asking them to "vocally and visibly" raise the issues highlighted in the May 2 resolution of the Congress Working Committee on caste census with a special emphasis on the "immediate implementation" of Article 15(5).
Quota in private institutions is one of the three pillars of Congress's social justice plank. The other two are conducting a caste census and removing the 50 per cent cap on reservations. With the government announcing the caste census, the Congress has shifted its focus to Article 15(5).
The action plan for the campaign includes organising public meetings involving activists, teachers, lawyers, shopkeepers and those from the Bahujan communities and mobilising broad-based public support for the caste census and full implementation of Article 15(5).
All PCCs must work closely with the AICC social media department to ensure that party workers, youth leaders and elected representatives actively post on all social platforms amplifying the Congress' demand for an early caste census, the leadership role of Gandhi and the CWC resolution.
Venugopal urged the Congress leaders to highlight the BJP's record of caste denial and anti-Bahujan actions.
"These efforts must reflect a unified communication strategy that brings clarity, conviction and high visibility to our campaign for social justice. PCCs are requested to treat this campaign with top priority and submit weekly reports on the progress of each action point to the AICC," the circular dated May 3 said.
In the circular, Venugopal said, "As you are aware, after sustained and principled pressure from the Congress, the Modi government, which had long ridiculed, delayed and dismissed the demand, has now been compelled to accept the genuine and democratic call for a caste-wise census.
