'#21_अगस्त_भारत_बंद_रहेगा' (Bharat Bandh will be on August 21); well this is what netizens have been trending on X in protest against the Supreme Court's decision on on the creamy layer reservation issue for Scheduled Castes and Tribes. Multiple organizations have called for Bharat Bandh on August 21 and it has got the support from Mayawati's political party Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Bharat Bandh on August 21 has been called by various Dalit organizations to protest against the Supreme Court's comment on implementing the creamy layer in the SC-ST reservation. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is leading this Bharat Bandh.
Apart from Dalit organizations, reports suggest that OBCs and organizations of upper caste society are also supporting this Bharat Bandh tomorrow. Their letters are being made viral on social networking sites. At the same time, district and police administration officials say that there is no Bharat Bandh. Now, the question arises whether Bharat Bandh is tomorrow or not.
Is Bharat Bandh on August 21?
Well, the answer is complicated. While the administration of multiple states refused to observe Bharat Bandh on August 21, Rajasthan police have instructed all district SPs to co-ordinate with their local SC/STs organizations to ensure the protest pass off peacefully. It means the administration is getting ready to maintain law & order when SC/STs organizations carry out protests against the Supreme Court's decision.
Talking about what is closed and what is open, reports suggest that all traders should do business without worry and people should do their routine work. Security arrangements are being strengthened so that if anyone forcibly enforces a shutdown, immediate and strict action can be taken against him. A meeting was also held in the Collectorate on Monday in which ADM TN Singh of Gwalior discussed with the police officer and representatives of Dalit organizations. He told the representatives that there is no Bharat Bandh. If anyone tries to enforce it, strict action will have to be taken. However, some representatives refused to join their own organization in the call for the shutdown.
The organizations which have called for Bharat Bandh are - Bahujan Samaj Party, Azad Samaj Party, Bhim Army, Bharat Adivasi Party, Yuva Adivasi Sangathan, and Dalit Utthan Sangharsh Samiti. As a result, the district, police administration, and other departments are on alert regarding this.
Mayawati's nephew and BSP's national coordinator Akash Anand wrote on X on Monday that our community has called for a Bharat Bandh on August 21 in protest against the Supreme Court's decision on the reservation. Our community is peace-loving. We support everyone. Our community participates in everyone's happiness and sorrow. But today our freedom is being attacked. We have to give a befitting reply to this in a peaceful manner on August 21.
What did the Supreme Court say on the creamy layer?
As per reports, on August 1, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that states must identify and exclude the "creamy layer" of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) from receiving reservation benefits. The court's ruling was based on the idea that the creamy layer concept undermines equality and ensures that reservation benefits reach the economically and socially disadvantaged.
For the unversed, the creamy layer refers to people who are above a certain income bracket and are excluded from quota benefits