Congress to take up pending Bills in Monsoon Session to woo Dalits

New Delhi: Looking to secure Dalit support as it eyes a revival in fortunes, Congress is planning to take up the issue of pending bills related to the empowerment and reservation of SCs and STs to corner the NDA government in the Monsoon session of Parliament, which begins next month.

Sources in the party said they will raise the issue of the non-passage of bills like the Constitution (117th Amendment) Bill, 2012, that aims to provide quota in promotions, a Bill to provide legislative framework for reservation and another to amend and strengthen the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989.

"We will build pressure on the government to ensure that it introduces these three Bills -- which are pending for a long time -- in the Monsoon session. Enactment of the Bills will go a long way in ensuring justice for the Dalits," a party functionary said speaking on condition of anonymity. Congress's focus on Dalit issues comes as the party is trying to recover from a recent trend of electoral reverses. It is planning to reach out to Dalits and other deprived sections in a big way.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on June 2 flagged off the national launch of the party's commemoration of the 125th anniversary celebrations of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar at the latter's birthplace in Mhow of Madhya Pradesh.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi had on June 1 written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi slamming his government for allowing an ordinance to lapse which was aimed at strengthening the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the previous UPA government had in March last year cleared the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Ordinance making penal provisions more stringent to deter people committing crimes against members of Dalit communities. The Ordinance had proposed that common crimes like rape, assault and kidnapping should also be brought under the purview of this Act.

"Even as Standing Committee recommended for bringing amendments to the 1989 Act and gave its report way back in December, 2014, the NDA government did not bring a Bill on it in the Budget session. Our party will take up the matter when Monsoon session of Parliament convenes," the functionary said.

Pitching for bringing the bill to amend the 1989 Act, Sonia Gandhi had said that it was a "matter of disappointment" that NDA government "allowed the ordinance to lapse" by sending it to the Standing Committee.

The other one, the Constitution amendment (117) bill providing for quota for SCs and STs in government job promotions was passed by Rajya Sabha with an overwhelming vote of 206 in the 245-member House in December 2012, when UPA was in power. However, it could not be passed by the Lok Sabha. Samjawadi Party and Shiv Sena had opposed it.

The third bill that the Congress wants Government to bring in Parliament is aimed at providing a legislative framework to reservation in employment and education.

So far reservation in jobs and education is provided through an executive order for a period of ten years, which are extended from time to time.

The manifesto for Dalit empowerment prepared by the party ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls will serve as a guiding principle for the Congress in future course of action more so when Rahul Gandhi is increasingly taking up a lead role in the party.

The last Lok Sabha polls saw caste barriers breaking in key states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where a sizeable section of Dalits voted for BJP.

In UP, the drift of Dalit votes to BJP has served as a warning signal for Congress. The community did not favour Congress even after Gandhi's visits to and his taking of meals at Dalit homes.

However, Congress is confident that the "anti-farmer and pro-corporate" campaign against the BJP-led NDA government on the land Bill will have an impact.

The understanding in the party is that BSP's hold over Dalits has loosened considerably in states other than Uttar Pradesh and they are still not strongly behind BJP.

In such a situation, increasing their focus on Dalit issues can help them get back their "traditional Dalit support", Congress leaders feel.

Substantial changes are also underway in Congress to push to the fore leaders from among the Dalit and other under- represented communities. Congress's attempt to engage with such communities is significant as the rise of caste-based parties in Bihar and UP on the plank of social justice more than two decades back sealed the fate of the party in these two states.

While Assembly elections are due in Bihar this year, UP goes to polls in 2017.