Chandigarh: Most Scheduled Castes continue to live in extreme poverty, without land or opportunities for better employment or education. They depend on the assistance for their empowerment through the elected representatives and the bureaucratic administration installed in the respective areas. Punjab, a state within the Indian Union with the highest Scheduled Castes population as per the total state population is under a threat of being labelled as one of the more oppressive states in terms of dealing with the affairs of empowering the Scheduled Castes community.
Paramjit Singh Kainth, President of the socio-political organization National Scheduled Castes Alliance blamed the current Congress regime for the deteriorating circumstances in the State. He said “We could hear the palpable fear of violence, discrimination, social boycott etc within the hearts of the Scheduled Castes community. Numerous counts of rapes, murder, violent assaults, social boycott etc have been a rising ‘trend’ through which the community has to constantly go through. To deal with such injustices the community approaches the bureaucratic setup of their area but to the dismay of the community, there is no helping hand to care for their complaints instead they are treated as ‘second hand citizens’.”
“During the promotion and even transfer of the Punjab Police officials, this Congress government has been bluntly and unapologetically maintained a shameful stance against the Scheduled Castes community. Officers belonging to the community have been constantly ignored for the highest posts and even are not allotted an area during their transfer where they can constantly be in service for the people. It seems today that the social sanction of their status as lesser beings allows their impoverishment to continue, this is the same for the Officers who through hard work and dedication have achieved this status and are yet still being ignored when it comes to transfers and promotions, only because they are Scheduled Castes.”
Punjab has 24 Police Districts, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar have Police Commissioners, there are 6 Police Zones; Patiala, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Roopnagar and Amritsar. Kainth said “Scheduled Castes comprises 33% of the population in Punjab and able officers from our community who know the problems that this community faces have been ignored from being posted in positions where they can deal and communicate with the Public constantly. Transfers and Postings of the officials is done entirely under the threat and fear of the Political and Money Mafia which are seemingly on the rise under this Captain Amrinder Singh led Congress regime. Political integrity and regard for the development and empowerment of the poorer sections of the society is completely non-existent in this current government.”
Kainth lamented on the attitude of the Congress government regarding Political leaders from the community, he said “During the selection of Cabinet Ministers and other important portfolios, the Scheduled Castes community leaders and MLA’s were ignored for the important offices and also their representation has not been in accordance with the population they represent.”
“In a state where an MLA from the Scheduled Castes community is not allowed to enter the CM Office, what can a normal person from the community expect to achieve under such oppressive regime. The menace of such social discrimination continues to plague the State and also a major reason for the backwardness of Punjab as compared to other prospering States. This political conspiracy against the Scheduled Castes community has resulted in distrust within the law & order and in the Justice system. Such oppression does not last long and people shall soon realize the true colors of this ‘draconian’ regime.” alleged Kainth.