February 6, 2024
Santanu Sen’s speech during the discussions on The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and The Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2024
Madam, while standing to speak on this Bill, it really gives me pain when I recall that the respected President of India who belongs to a tribal community is not invited during the inauguration of this New Parliament Building or during the Pran Prathishtha in Ayodhya. This reflects how this Government respect the tribal communities at large. I also recall about one BJP leader urinating on the face of a tribal person in Madhya Pradesh. This is very unfortunate. Sir, I once again thank you on behalf of my party and my leader Madam, Mamata Banerjee; I am here to speak on this Bill. This Amendment seeks to modify the list of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in relation to Odisha. The modification of the list is a recommendation from the State to the Centre, scrutiny by the Tribal affairs or Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry and consent from the National Commissions for SCs and STs. I trust that the Commissions have scrutinised this proposal adequately and are convinced of its merit. In 2011, the Census said that 8.6 per cent of the country’s population was composed of the tribal people amounting to 10.4 crore people. I urge the Government to conduct the 2021 census at the earliest so that we can update our data and provide benefits to our most vulnerable citizens. Madam, these legislations being planned cannot be based on a ten year old population data frame. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of SC and ST students at the undergraduate level, standing at 23 per cent and 17.2 per cent respectively, is very unsatisfactory – both numbers being short of the national average of 26.3 per cent. The Central Educational Institutions (Reservations in Admission) Act, 2006 mandates 15 per cent, 7.5 per cent, 27 per cent quotas for SC, ST and OBC students. However, the acceptance rate of applications for SC, ST and OBCs in IIMs has been below four per cent for the past four years. IIM, Ahmedabad received 78 PhD applications from STs between 2018-19 and 2021-22, but only two have been accepted. IIM, Bangalore accepted only three out of 188 applications by SCs, STs and others. Only, 2.5 per cent or 137 ST students, out of 3430 eligible applicants, were admitted across all IITs last year. There are 23.51 per cent Scheduled Caste and 5.8 per cent Scheduled Tribe out of total population in my home State of West Bengal. The educational situation of ST communities also raises concerns. According to 2011 census reports, the SC’s and ST’s literacy rate in India was that for male, it was 75.2 per cent for SCs and 68.5 per cent for STs and, for female, it was 56.5 per cent for SCs and 49.4 per cent for STs. The West Bengal’s SCs and STs literacy rate for male was 84.54 per cent for SCs and 74.15 per cent for STs and for female, literacy rate was 64.9 per cent for SCs and 43.51 per cent for STs. Three Santali Medium Schools at Keshpur, Debra and Ghatal in West Medinipur have been set up. Coaching is provided for JEE, NEET exam through 36 centres across the State especially for the poor students belonging to the SC and ST community. We have put in place an SC/ST Pension Scheme, to take care of the vulnerable elderly in these communities. We have also established various lending programmes to help grow entrepreneurship in these communities. To ensure holistic and sustainable development of ‘Lodha Sabar’ Communities in Jungle Mahal areas, the ‘West Bengal Lodha Sabar Development Board’ has been formed. Bengal is the only State in India where under the leadership of Madam Mamata Banerjee, the hon. Chief Minister, the only lady Chief Minister of our country, a dedicated Scheduled Caste Advisory Council has been set up. That is our vision for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes which is sadly not being mirrored at the Union level. Our Constitution recognizes group identity and its importance for social empowerment of the marginalized. Via these provisions, the Constitution balances between history of injustice, faced by certain groups, and personal liberty. People must be given an assertion of their group identity. Treating every person as an individual would not be sufficient to gain equality and equity of personhood, as it will ignore their different lived realities and caste/tribe identity which require the protection of law. It is the duty of the State to ensure these protections reach people in the best way possible, in both letter and spirit. In our State of West Bengal, under the leadership of Madam Mamata Banerjee, there are two important schemes existing for these people. One is Jai Johar and the other is Taposili Bandhu. Cultural section of people has been tremendously improved by Madam Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal. I will take just 30 seconds. Tribal Board has been formed and especially, the eminent persons from this particular group are being encouraged by several in the West Bengal Government. Lastly, I will conclude by saying that there are few hill communities such as Bhujel, Gurung, Mangar, Newar, Jogi, Khas, Rai, Sunwar, Thami, Yakkha and Dhimal. These need to be included in the list which are already sent by our State Government long back. : My urge to the Government will be, kindly do the needful, so that these groups can also be included. Finally, I conclude by saying, if this Government really wants to do something good for the SC/ST community, keeping apart the ego, please come to our State of West Bengal, take a lesson from our Chief Minister, Madam Mamta Banerjee. Thank you very much.
