The Hindu : National : Lok Janshakti Party favours reservation in private sector

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Wednesday, Sep 08, 2004

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National

Lok Janshakti Party favours reservation in private sector

By Javed M. Ansari

NEW DELHI. SEPT. 7. While the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh has favoured affirmative action for the deprived classes in the private sector without legislation, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), a constituent of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), has taken a contrary view.

It favours enforcing the reservation policy in the private sector "even through legal measures".

`Amend Constitution'

The LJP has demanded that a "Bill to further amend the Constitution, for the promotion of equal opportunities to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in matters of employment in the private sector" be introduced in Parliament.

`Partially enforced'

The LJP leadership is of the view that the reservation policy has only been partially enforced in the government institutions and there is a need to extend this to the private sector.

The party's stand was made clear after the two-day meeting of its Political Affairs Committee held in the capital under the chairmanship of the LJP chief, Ram Vilas Paswan.

The LJP said that the economic reforms process started in 1991 paved the way for the withdrawal of the state from a wide range of economic activity and the consequent expansion of the private sector.

Globalisation and economic liberalisation, especially disinvestment, have made government institutions incapable of achieving the radical social revolution that "the Constitution" sought to achieve, it said.

The party believes that given the "unwillingness of the private sector, even its occasional antagonism, to respond to the need for reservation" it is time to resort to legal measures.

"These measures should include the enactment of special provisions for reservation in the private sector for members of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes, enforcement of such provisions by means of civil proceedings, penalties for discrimination and relief that may be sought by the plaintiff. "

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