Bjp Panel On Caste Criticises Leadership

The Janaadhar Badhao Samiti, set up by the BJP in Madhya Pradesh yesterday said that there were still some members from the upper class in the party who felt uncomfortable with the idea of equality in relation to the scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and backward class.

The committee in its report submitted early this month said that such leaders should be encouraged to think of change by shedding their superiority complex. The committee, whose convenor was former minister Babu Lal Gaur, said that the members should draw inspiration from leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya.

The committee said that while the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, waged a continuous battle against untouchability, casteism and other such social evils throughout his life, other leaders like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya propagated the concept of integrated humanism as the basis for creating a just socety.

The committee recommended that the party should ensure participation of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes in its activities at every level to increase their support. The committee, set up in June 1996 after the last Lok Sabha elections, stressed in its report submitted early this month the urgent need for establishing a direct dialogue with dalits, tribals and those belonging to the weaker sections of the society.

It said that around 80 per cent of the voters in the state belong to the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes.

and pointed out that not only BJP but other political parties would also wish to have their support.

The committee suggested that a core group consisting of educated members from these sections should be formed and suggestions from them should be invited from time to time.

The committee recommended that the party should react adequately to the atrocities that were committed against people belonging to these sections.

The BJP, it said, should organise hunger strikes, demonstrations and dharnas at the local level by involving workers from these categories.

This, the committee said, would make the party close with voters from the backward sections. The responsibility for this should be given to the local MLAs or MPs, it added.