On April 3, political leaders from across the country came together to speak at the first All India Federation for Social Justice Conference organised by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. At the conference, various leaders spoke on the requirements of social justice, the need for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC) consolidation. They also demanded that the Union government carry out a nation-wide caste census.
The conference, which was held online, was attended by Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Ghelot, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejawini Yadav, Leader of Opposition in Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav, Sanjay Singh, MP from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) and D Raja general secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI). and others from outside Tamil Nadu.
Leaders from Tamil Nadu included Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) President and MP Thol Thirumavlavan, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP P Wilson, MP and general secretary of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) Vaiko, Dravida Kazhagam President K Veeramani.
However, there were no women participants among the 21 leaders who attended the conference.
Closing the event, MK Stalin said, “Social justice has brought us all together. The duty to protect social justice is ours, that is why we have come together. The struggle for attaining social justice is not the concern of one state or a few states but all states. Social justice is associated with the structure of Indian society. There might be differences in the degree of problems across caste and class lines in various states, but the core issue is the same – gross discrimination. Wherever there is discrimination, exclusion, untouchability, injustice and slavery, the medicine is social justice.”
The TN CM also spoke on the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) Quota brought in by the Union government and reiterated the DMK’s opposition to it. “The BJP gave reservation to the people they call the upper caste poor. That is not social justice. We are not against measures to help the poor, but schemes that are meant to benefit the poor will only be economic justice not social justice. If the quota is for the poor, then shouldn’t it be for all poor people? Why is it only for the upper caste poor? Isn’t the side-lining of socially marginalised communities social injustice, then?”, he asked.
Stalin further added that, “Those who were once opposed to caste-based reservation claiming that it was against merit and talents now support the EWS Quota alone.” He also condemned the recent removal of Muslims from the OBC list in Karnataka and added that, “Social Justice has been murdered blatantly in Karnataka”.
Sitaram Yechury too condemned the BJP-led Karnataka government’s removal of Muslims from the OBC list. “The BJP has retained OBC reservation for other minority religions, but has annulled the OBC classification for Muslims. If this atmosphere of hatred, bigotry and poisonous treatment of particular minorities, whether Muslims and Christians is not eliminated, social justice will be a very distant goal.”
He also said that reservations must be done in tandem with economic justice, “It is only economic empowerment along with reservation that give a modicum of self-respect to people who have been oppressed for centuries. For social oppression to end we will all have to work together. And this is required to be addressed in an urgent manner in today’s conditions.”
D Raja, speaking at the conference, said that, “The constitution is under attack now. In such a situation, what is social justice? We must understand the fundamental challenges in our battle for social justice. The challenges are caste, class and patriarchy,” adding that, “In this situation we must work towards the annihilation of caste and to end economic exploitation? And to ensure gender equality. Only then can we strive for a classless and casteless society. Which I call a socialist society.”
He further added, “Reservation ensures access to education and employment in the public sector. But where is the public sector? All public undertakings are being sold off to big corporations, so where is the scope for reservation? The time has come that we have to fight for reservation in the private sector.”
Tejasvini Yadav too, supported the idea of demanding caste-based reservation in the private sector. “Every institution that SC, ST and OBC communities were able to get jobs because of reservation are becoming privatised. Whether it is BSNL or BHEL or other institutions, they are being sold off. In the coming 2024 elections, all of us together, as D Raja said, must fight for reservations in the private sector.”
Regarding carrying out the caste census, Tejasvini said, “Our Mahagathbandhan had agreed on the need for the census. My father, Laloo Prasad Yadav, has already begun that work. He fought in every corner for it,” adding that, “Our government has begun undertaking a caste census in Bihar and the results are expected soon. Based on the outcome we will have our quantum of reservation.”
Thol Thirumavalavan said that reservation in the private sector was part of the VICK's demands. “There is not much scope for jobs in the public sector, so reservation in the private sector is an issue of top priority,” he said, adding, “We also demand caste census to ensure proportionate reservation based on population. We must also fight for women’s reservation, as it will mean completion of social justice.”
He further said, “Social justice is opposed to the idea of sanathana justice. Social justice stands for equality. Sanathna justice stands for inequality. We have to consolidate all democratic forces across the country to save the nation, the constitution and social justice from sanathana forces.”
Akhilesh Yadav said that, “The Samajwadi Party wants rights and dignity for everyone. That’s why we believe that until there is social justice, economic equality cannot be achieved.” He also recalled that the SP had led agitations for the implementation of the Mandal Commission. “Hundreds of SP workers were jailed at the time before the Commission was implemented. Everyone must have the right to live with equal opportunities and dignity. Establishing a society free of oppression is SP’s aim.”
The others who spoke at the conference were Jammu & Kashmir National Conference MP Farooq Abdullah, Rashtriya Janatha Dal MP and spokesperson Manoj Kumar Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien, Former Chief Minister of Karnataka Veerappa Moily, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) ET Mohammed Basheer and National Congress Party MLA Chaggan Bhujbal.