Refer SC Verdict on Reservation for EWS to Full Bench: CPI

8th November 2022 at 4:13 PM

The National Secretariat of the Communist Party of India issued the following statement today (on November 8, 2022):

New Delhi: 8th November 2022: (M S Bhatia//The Comrade Screen)::

The Supreme Court judgment upholding 10 per cent reservation for EWS category by a five-member bench with three upholding and two expressing dissent has raised several questions regarding the very policy of reservations. Pertinent questions about the judgment’s impact on reservation for SC/ST/OBC, in the absence of caste census, non-availability of data and criteria to determine the economically weaker sections of forward castes, etc. have come to the fore.

The judgment has created apprehensions with several political parties and social movements demanding that the judgment be referred to a larger constitution bench of the Supreme Court for clarification and constitutional merit of the judgment. CPI demands that a full bench of Supreme Court review the present judgment.

CPI is relentlessly fighting for a casteless and classless society. The CPI stands for equality, social justice and annihilation of caste.

The legislative intent behind reservation was not poverty alleviation but affirmative action for historically discriminated and deprived sections of our society.

At a time when privatization is being aggressively pursued by the present government, our fight for reservation in private sector must continue with even greater strength.