Dalit groups plan Bharat bandh to protest lateral entry into bureaucracy

Various Dalit groups are considering a nation-wide bandh to protest the government's decision to allow individuals to laterally enter the bureaucracy, according to a report by Times of India.

The groups have already expressed their discontent over the Modi government's move to invite individuals from the private sector to apply for Joint Secretary- level posts directly.

They are now threatening the government with a repeat of the nation-wide protest held on April 2, after the Supreme Court allegedly 'diluted' the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The Dalits reportedly see this move as bypassing the constitutional mechanism of recruiting through Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Dalit activist Ashok Bharti told the newspaper that it also ignores the compulsory reservation criteria for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

The nation-wide protest is being planned for August, during the monsoon session of Parliament, in order to ensure maximum possible impact, TOI reported.

"The protest is meant to send out the message that if the concerns are not addressed by the government, the community will give the ruling party a befitting reply in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls," Bharti was quoted as saying.

He also said that the Modi government has already "appropriated" independent institutions like the Election Commission, and it now intends to "bypass the UPSC".

BSP supremo Mayawati had earlier termed the move "an administrative failure of the Modi government" and a dangerous trend that will "increase the influence of capitalists in policy making".

The Dalit community was irked by the Supreme Court's amendment of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and launched protests at various places across the country, despite the Modi government having promptly filed a review petition that is still pending with the top court.