The intensified ‘lure’ to capture the predominant backward classes ‘vote bank’ in Andhra Pradesh is likely to stir the hornet’s nest.
In its bid to bounce back to power, after being rejected by the state electorate in 2004 and 2009, the main Opposition Telugu Desam party has first passed the BCs declaration promising 33 per cent reservation to that community members in all Constitutional bodies, beginning with the Assembly.
Though, one could see no reason or rhyme for the TDP to resort to such a ‘lure’ which hitherto are made before any elections, the YSRCP, notwithstanding the fact that the next round of electoral battle was scheduled for 2014 only, was quick to respond with 100 seats in the Assembly, to throw up an open debate among media as well intellectuals. The ruling Congress party too seems to doesn’t like to lag behind and its Pradesh Congress Chief Botsa Satyanarayana, moved a step forward by throwing the challenge of ‘representation as per population’ theory of all communities in the state.
But one wonders, can such a proposal – either reservations to BCs as proposed by the TDP and YSRCP or the Congress of ‘representation as per population’ – feasible at all ?
In fact, the BC community in Andhra Pradesh consists of around 92 castes (but some claim over 150) and these castes were first categorized into four groups through a GO (Ms No.1793) issued way back in 1970. According to some BC leaders and think tank, of these only 15 castes are cornering all the Constitutional bodies as well employment opportunities. In other words, the others were deprived and hence some argue for better representation to them.
In such a backdrop, if the reservation ‘proposal’ is not a ‘bait’ or ‘lure’, then what else is it? Shouldn’t the backward communities, instead of falling a prey to these illogical baits, see through their game of ‘caste politics’ which threaten to create more chaos than good to the society? How come the same political parties that promise to establish a ‘casteless society’ by removing caste, creed and economic inequalities in the society, dare to initiate such proposal?
As a matter of fact, there cannot be a consensus amongst the present day political parties over arriving at either identifying or reserving the constituencies where the BCs population is substantial. That apart no government, either the state or Centre, intended to bring in a ‘fool-proof’ legislation to that effect.
Hence, such ‘baits’ of the present day political parties do damage than good to the society. (NSS)