Nationwide Bharat Bandh Today Dalit and Adivasi Groups Announces

New Delhi: A nationwide Bharat Bandh on Wednesday have announced by Dalit and Adivasi organizations to press for increased representation of marginalized communities in employment and education and to safeguard their constitutional rights. This peaceful strike is a response to a recent Supreme Court decision regarding the sub-categorization of quotas for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) and concerns over lateral entry into central civil services.

The Supreme Court’s ruling, delivered on August 1 by a seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, permits states to further sub-classify SCs and STs to ensure that more backward castes within these groups receive quota benefits. This verdict has raised alarms within Dalit and Adivasi communities, who argue that it could undermine the foundational principles established by the Indira Sawhney case, which set the framework for the reservation system in India.

In response, the National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations (NACDAOR), which spearheaded the Bharat Bandh, has put forward several demands. Among these are calls for the government to reject the Supreme Court’s judgment and introduce a new central act, shielded from judicial review by the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. NACDAOR also demands the prompt release of caste-based data on SC/ST/OBC employees in government services to ensure fair representation and the filling of all backlog vacancies in central and state government departments.

Support for the Bharat Bandh has come from various political parties, including the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, along with leftist parties. While the bandh is expected to disrupt public services in states governed by these parties, essential services such as hospitals and emergency facilities will remain operational.

NACDAOR has urged all OBC, SC, and ST groups to participate peacefully and in large numbers, highlighting the need for unity in the ongoing struggle for social justice and equitable representation.