A convention of Dalit organisations observing the death anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar saw a unanimous resolution being passed demanding the Karnataka government provide for internal reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in accordance with their population. The resolution also demanded the implementation of Justice Sadashiva's report on internal reservation. This resolution, along with others, was adopted at a massive gathering of Dalit organisations at the ‘Dalit’s Cultural Resistance’ convention held at Bengaluru’s National College grounds. The meeting holds significance as several factions of Dalit Sangharsha Samithi (DSS) came together after many years to organise the convention under the banner Aikya Horata Chalana Samithi of Dalit Sangharsha Samithis. A resolution was also adopted at the convention to protest against various bills passed by the government and its unwillingness to act upon the atrocities against Dalits.
The Justice AJ Sadashiva Inquiry Commission advocated internal reservation among the castes by broadly reclassifying all 101 castes into four groups. The Commission examined methods of equitable distribution of reservation facilities among SCs.
The convention also came out strongly against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). “The RSS and BJP, which know for sure that the Dalits-Adivasis-Nomads-Backward-Minorities communities of this country will not support its core agenda of restoration of Chaturvarna system that upholds 'Brahmin Supremacy', have now adopted yet another cunning strategy to woo people on its side. It has sown the seeds of hate amidst various castes by splitting them into contending sub-castes by pitting one against the other. This is particularly so in the case of Dalit community which is being divided into castes and sub-castes almost hating each other. Minority communities have been portrayed as foes in the garb of 'Hindutva'. The strategy of inciting people in the name of Pakistan, Kashmir, Mandir-Masjid, protecting cows, CAA-NRC for political gains continues unabated,” a statement released at the convention read.
The resolution also opposed the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation given to people belonging to the upper caste with an annual income of Rs 8 lakh and excluding SC/ST/OBC only on economic criteria. Terming it unconstitutional, it stated, “This unconstitutional amendment should be repealed and reservations should be implemented based on social justice in the private sector as well.” Criticising the BJP on reservations, the statement at the convention read, “The BJP government continues to hoodwink the people by pretending to increase the quantum of reservation while at the same time making reservation itself meaningless by privatising the public sector undertakings and also under co-operative sectors to the corporate companies. The sectors that had to serve the public cause like the health and education sector too have been privatised.”
The resolutions taken at the convention included the rollback of ‘anti-people laws’ like the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act 2020, Anti-conversion law and Karnataka farm laws. They also demanded the cancellation of the National Education Policy (NEP) implemented by the Union and state government as it promoted inequality, and retaining scholarships for SC/ST school students with an increase of income limit to those availing scholarships to be raised to Rs 10 lakh.
They also urged strengthening the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act, 1978. “The land of Dalits should remain with Dalits. The basic objective of this Act is to ensure that land ownership stays with the Dalits.” Citing that 96% of cases under the SC/ST Atrocities Act were pending in the courts, the forum demanded the government increase conviction rates in atrocity cases against Dalits and provide protection.