Social Democratic Party of India

The Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), has demanded the Union Government of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, (UPA), not to exhibit any lethargy and be forthright in implementing the recommendations of the Justice Rangnath Mishra Commission report soon in letter and spirit.


A. Sayeed, SDPI General Secretary, in a Press statement said that the Commission's important recommendation that Muslims and Christians of Dalit origin be given the same benefits as given to Scheduled Castes professing Hinduism, Buddhism or Sikhism as their religion should see the light of the day at the earliest. There should be no dithering on the issue on the part of the government in implementing it as otherwise it would defeat the very purpose of appointing the said Commission, he emphasized.
The SDPI has also demanded that the Union Government should take note of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, (VHP), secretary general Pravin Togadia’s outburst and make him see reason the need to uplift the deprived sections of the society, which are suffering for last six decades, for the all round development of India. Without the well-being of these deprived sections India can never become a developed nation.

As such the SDP thinks that the implementation of Ranganath Mishra Commission recommendations at the earliest becomes all the more important in the true sense in letter and spirit both, the statement said.
The statement pointed out that Togadia’s threat a nationwide agitation if the government made any move to implement the report of the Ranganath Mishra Commission for reservation for Muslims and other minorities needs outright condemnation from all quarters. His charge that it is anti-national, anti-constitutional and anti-Hindu is ridiculous.


Sayeed said that it seems Togadia has lost his bearings as he has reportedly termed the report against the spirit of the founding fathers of the Indian constitution. His contention that if implemented, it would particularly be damaging to the interests of the vulnerable sections of Hindu society requires strong rebuttal as he appears to be not in his senses these days, he opined.


Togadia reportedly goes on to say that the implementation of such a report is set to encourage religious conversions, particularly among the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes to take advantage of this development. This is highly objectionable, Sayeed observed.
While hailing the Union Government for tabling the Justice Rangnath Mishra Commission report in Parliament on December 18, 2009, though belatedly as it was submitted to it two years back in 2007, Sayeed said the SDPI also demands the revocation of the Presidential Order of 1950-1951 which discriminates the Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribes on the basis of religion by denying the benefit to the Christians, Parsis and Muslims. Many castes like “gadaas”, “qabar-khodu”, “saify”, “teliya” etc. belonging to the Muslim community should also be entitled to avail the benefits of the reservation under SC/ST category, he added.
If Ranganath Mishra Commission Report would be implemented then it will open the door of development for Muslims as well as other Minorities. The fair implementation of Ranganath Mishra Commission recommendations is the need of the hour. The progress of Muslims community is impossible without giving them reservation in education and jobs. For that implementation of Mishra Report is essential.

Justice Mishra has accepted the demand raised by Dalit Christians for 59 years urging the Government not to discriminate against them on grounds of their religion, but to once again extend to them the political, economic and development privileges accorded to all Dalits by the Constitution of India when it was signed into law on 26th January 1950.

It may be recalled here that these rights were taken away brutally by the Presidential Order of 1950 which strengthened the rightwing fundamentalist religious lobby and which continues to constitute a slur on the Secular foundations of the Indian Nation. The commission has accepted that caste transcends religion and caste discrimination is present in all religious communities.

The National Commission for Religious Linguistic Minorities has also strongly recommended that there should be a law earmarking 15 per cent seats for the minorities, including 10 per cent for Muslims, in all general educational institutions.
"As by the force of judicial decisions the minority intake in minority educational institutions has, in the interest of national integration, been restricted to about 50 per cent, thus virtually earmarking 50 per cent or so for the majority community, we strongly recommend that, by the same analogy and for the same purpose, at least 15 per cent seats in all non-minority educational institutions should be earmarked by law for the minorities," the report of the commission tabled in the Lok Sabha on Friday said. To ameliorate their economic condition, the Commission has suggested earmarking of 15 per cent of the total share for minorities in all government schemes.