Globalisation, liberalisation and privatisation that were introduced in 1990 were destroying reservation for the downtrodden sections and making rich richer and poor poorer, former Secretary to the AP State SC and ST Commission R. Subba Rao said here on Saturday.
Speaking during the inaugural session of a two-day national seminar on challenges to Indian Constitutional fundamentals and Ambedkarism being organised at the Andhra University Dr. Ambedkar College of Law, Mr. Subba Rao observed that 25 per cent of the population is enjoying the land, resources, employment and manages industry and the remaining 75 per cent was suffering and the Constitution was “successfully” running because the 25 per cent was not facing problems.
Welfare schemes
While no welfare schemes were introduced by Nehru during his tenure as Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi introduced some schemes to suppress the demand of Scheduled Castes to have separate villages set up for them after they found their lot not improving, which might lead to a separate and powerful community emerging.
He regretted that government schools and colleges and health facilities were becoming dysfunctional and in their place the private institutions and schemes like Arogyasri have benefited the hospitals. Mr. Subba Rao also reminded Dr. Ambedkar’s statement that if the Constitution he had authored was not fit enough to benefit the poor, another should be prepared, while urging the participants of the seminar to find a solution to the problems being faced by the downtrodden sections.
Former Vice-Chancellor of AU G.S.N. Raju, who has donated Rs. 3 lakh to the Ambedkar Studies Centre in the college, inaugurated the seminar and said Ambedkar was leader of all and the Constitution should be interpreted in the right way to make the country a super power.
Vice-Chancellor in-charge E.A. Narayana felt that the problem was with us and not the Constitution. Director of AU SAARC Studies Centre and EC Member of AU M. Prasada Rao reminded that Dr. Ambedkar linked eradication of caste system with growth process because the downtrodden sections lacked skill development, education and availability of infrastructure. A policy was needed to include the three aspects in their growth, Prof. Prasada Rao said.
Vice-Chancellor of Chanakya National Law University (Patna) A. Lakshminath in his keynote address stressed the need for pragmatic rationalism and essentialism. Dr. Ambedkar once told Nehru that he was aware of the rights of people but wanted to know how he would assure the rights to them, Prof. Lakshmikanth said. Principal of Dr. Ambedkar AU College of Law A. Subrahmanyam, director of the seminar D.S. Prakasa Rao, Director of AU Centre for Ambedkar Studies Y. Satyanarayana spoke on different topics. The seminar, sponsored by UGC SAP II, is being attended by 120 delegates from across the country.
