01-03-2021 The Asian Independent

20 01-03-2021 to 15-03-2021 NEWS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
BUDGET (2021-22) FOR DALITS
: A PRETENTIOUS FARCE
The present Indian India’s population still lives
helping the educational
Government claims to work for
all classes and peoples (Sabka
Saath).Its leadership firmly
believes in the merits of a fullfledged
capitalist economy and
makes all out efforts to facilitate
below poverty line. Highest
proportion of the poor is found
among the Scheduled Caste
(SC) and Scheduled Tribes
(ST) communities. Central
Government has been making
advancement of a section of
SCs. But in the last few years
the Government has been
unwilling to meet the increasing
demand for this scholarship
from SC students and therefore
maximal profit for budgetary outlays for various
large numbers of them had to
investors, industry and businesses.
Apparently for this reason,
all the schemes and programmes
being introduced by
the present Government for the
development of all sections or
classes of people (Sabka Vikas)
basically employ capitalist
market economy instruments,
such as provision of bank loans
and credits and various insurance
social security and economic
development schemes for these
communities. In this year’s
budget, there is a clear signal of
the Government’s resolve to
reduce and ultimately withdraw
social security schemes for SCs
and STs. This is openly stated
while introducing in the Budget
a new scheme for SCs, namely,
Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati
drop out mid way through their
studies. The outlay provided in
this year’s budget for this
scholarship (Rs 3415.62 crores)
is less than in the last year (Rs
3815.87 crores) and is grossly
inadequate to meet the educational
aspirations of large numbers
of SC students. This
scholarship, along with reservation
for SCs, is a commit-
schemes. Finance Abhyuday Yojana (PM AJAY)
ment made to Dr Ambedkar by
Minister in her Budget speech
has talked about larger credit
for farmers even while continuing
the adamancy with regard
to the controversial farm laws
which favour corporatization of
agriculture against which the
which purportedly is said to
“drastically reduce poverty
rates of the SC communities”
by implementing projects related
to income generation by
maximizing the employment
potential through skill development,
the then national leadership in
the Pune Pact 1930, which
helped Gandhiji to end his fast
in Yeravda Jail, in lieu of Dr
Ambedkar’s agreement to withdraw
his demand for separate
electorates for SCs. Therefore,
“thereby reducing
the responsibility for this schol-
farmers are agitating for long.
The Government has introduced
Fasal Bheema Yojana lation on the various social afford. Rs 125 crores allocated poisonous gases in sewers, the (Central) Government, but
dependency of the target popu-
by them which they cannot scavengers from exposure to arship is with the national
and a number of other insurance
programmes. The intro-
While the logic and stated pur-
has been reduced to Rs 50 sincere in their rehabilitation are made to incur part of the
assistance programmes.” for it in the Budget of 2020-21 Government needs to be more presently State Governments
duction of these capitalist market
instruments are being there is ample reason for the SC 2020-21 and this year’s budget tion of cleaning of sewers and There are some smaller
pose is clear and agreeable, crores in the Revised Budget and introduction of mechaniza-
funds for this scholarship.
accompanied by withdrawal of communities to doubt the sincerity
of purpose of such Similarly, the Government has Atmanirbharat Bharat without and OBCs like National
provides only Rs 100 crores. drains. Can we really create an Central scholarships for SCs
various kinds of subsidies and
other social sector service programmes.
Subsidies for the dis-
effective implementation. for the three finance develop-
from such inhuman conditions? Top Class education for SCs,
schemes and prospect for their drastically reduced the outlay liberating this section of people Fellowship for SCs and OBCs,
advantaged social classes and Suspicion arises from the ment corporations created to Most Dalits are economically
very weak to enter into entre-
students, National Overseas
Free Coaching for SC and OBC
groups are being limited to fact that the Government has help the economic advancement
of SCs, Safai Karmachari preneurial activities requiring Scholarship for SCs and OBCs.
interest subsidies on loans. This given short shrift to similar
helps capitalist investors in different
sectors (rural agriculture, schemes for SCs which it intro-
the last year’s Rs 420 crores to Educational level among them these “Central Scholarships”
economic development communities and OBCs from much capital investment. The outlay of Rs 545 crores for
housing etc) by creating duced earlier. An example is only Rs 250
is only gradually provided in last year’s Budget
demand for loan money from the scheme of Venture Capital Crores this year. M. K. Shaji improving. This has been reduced to Rs 315
the unaffordable classes of people,
a large number of whom 2014-15 with a budgetary out-
Self-employ-
+91 98109 85088 been facilitated Estimates. This shows insincer-
Fund for SCs introduced in The outlay for
improvement has crores in the Revised
will end up in indebtedness. In lay of Rs 200 crores to promote ment scheme
mainly by provision
of various scholarships. outlay. This insincerity towards
ity of intention of the original
essence the new capitalist entrepreneurship among SCs. for Rehabilitation Manual
avatar of the old traditional The Government has not been Scavengers was Rs 125 crores Worryingly, the present the weak and disadvantaged
money-lending (bania) economy
is being erected. there was nil utilization of this has been reduced to Rs 50 withdrawing the provision of fact that for the two pro-
able to utilize this fund and in Budget Estimates 2020-21 Government is on a course of sections is also seen from the
Government is also withdrawing
from social security servic-
SC people are not able to bene-
Estimates, and allocation for Post-Matric Scholarship for Beggars and of Transgender
fund in 2017-18. Apparently, crores in the Revised scholarships for SCs and STs. grammes of Rehabilitation of
es meant for the socially disadvantaged
and the poor. conditionality that 25 to 50% of In the context of the frequent Ambedkar from pre- in the last year’s Budget has not
fit from this fund because of the this year is only Rs 100 Crores. SCs, introduced by Dr Persons Rs 110 crores allocated
About 27.5 percent of the project cost has to be borne reports of deaths of manual Independence time has been been spent as seen from “Nil”
Guwahati : Just a month ahead of
the Assam Assembly polls, in a significant
political development on
Saturday, ruling Bharatiya Janata
Party's (BJP) estranged ally Bodoland
People's Front (BPF) has announced
to snap ties with the party and has
joined Congress led grand alliance to
fight the assembly polls.
BPF President Hagrama Mohilary
in a tweet on Saturday night said: "To
work for Peace, Unity and
Development the Bodoland People's
Front (BPF) has decided to join hands
with
MAHAJATH
(Mahagathbandhan) in the forthcoming
Assam Assembly Election. We
shall no longer maintain friendship or
alliance with BJP."
The ruling BJP in
Assam has an
alliance with the
BPF and the party
still has three ministers
in the Chief
Minister Sarbananda
Sonowal-led government.
The BJP, after the
Bodoland Territorial
Council polls in
early December last
year, had forged an
alliance with new
ally United People's
Party Liberal (UPPL) after discarding
incumbent partner BPF.
Meanwhile, the Congress-led sixparty
"Mahagathbandhan" has been
urging all the anti-BJP parties to join
the coalition to "oust the BJP from the
amounts shown in the Revised
Budget Estimates. Besides,
this year’s Budget has entirely
dropped the schemes like SC
Boys and Girls Hostels for
which Rs 30 crores was allocated
last year, and “Pre-Matric
Scholarship for Children of
those Engaged in Unclean
Occupations and Prone to
Heath Hazards” for which Rs
25 crores was allocated last
year.
The diversion of all governmental
functions towards capitalistic
interests is clearly seen
from the conversion of the
scheme of “National Overseas
Scholarship Scheme for OBCs”
into “Interest Subsidy on
Overseas Studies of OBCs”. In
similar fashion, the general and
consistent hostility and anathema
towards NGOs shown by
the present Government can
also be seen in respect of NGOs
working for SCs. There is no
outlay provided in this year’s
Budget for the earlier four
schemes of assistance to
Voluntary Organizations working
for SCs, OBCs, the aged,
and for social defence services.
For Dalits, who are still
mostly agricultural labourers
and others who are engaged in
the hardest and undignified
labour works, the dawn is still
dark. For them, the Budget
2021-22 is an uninspiring fare.
Government needs to introduce
real empowerment measures
like distribution of cultivable
lands to landless rural SC families
and other special measures
as envisaged in the original
concept of Special Component
Plan for Scheduled Castes
(SCP) to instill faith in them.
Otherwise the quoting of the
beautiful verse of Rabindranath
Tagore by the Finance Minister
in her Budget speech — Faith
is the bird that feels the light
and sings when the dawn is still
dark – would appear a pretentious
farce.
BJP ally in Assam snap ties, joins 'Mahagathbandhan'
power in the ensuing elections".
The Congress had earlier
formed the Mahagathbandhan
with three Left parties -- CPI-
M, CPI and CPI-ML -- as well
as the All India United
Democratic Front (AIUDF)
and the Anchalik Gana Morcha,
two regional parties having a
political base among the
Muslims and indigenous people,
respectively.
The Congress and the
AIUDF had fought separately
in 2016, and managed 26 and
13 seats, respectively.
The BJP has decided to fight the
polls in western Assam's tribal dominated
Bodoland area in alliance with
new ally UPPL besides Asom Gana
Parishad. In 2006 and 2011, the BPF
was part of the Congress led government
in Assam, but before Lok Sabha
polls in 2014, the party broken ties
with Congress. BPF leaders claim that
its support ensured that the BJP won
as many as 27 assembly seats in 2016
polls. The BPF has won all the 12
seats of Bodoland areas in 2016.
Another regional alliance comprising
Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP),
Raijor Dal and few other local parties
formed a third front to take on both the
BJP and Congress led alliance. The
elections to the 126-member Assam
Assembly will be held in three phases
on March 27, April 1 and April 6.