Srinagar: The announcement made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his recent J&amp;K visit assuring ST status to the Pahari community has ruffled many a feather among the Gujjar/Bakarwal community of the union territory.
The delimitation commission in its final report had recommended ST status for the Gujjar/Bakarwal community of the UT.
The delimitation commission recommended reserving nine of the 90 Assembly seats in J&amp;K for the Gujjar/Bakarwal community where only a candidate from this community can stand for the elections.
After Amit Shah announced that the Pahari community will also get the ST status, apprehensions naturally arose among the Gujjar/Bakarwal community that the Paharis could chip into their share of the reserved status in J&amp;K.
Amit Shah tried to allay the apprehensions by assuring Gujjars and Bakarwals that Paharis would not encroach on their quota of already announced reservations.
A major problem in segregating the ST reservations between the two communities is that while Gujjars/Bakarwals form a sizeable number of population in the Assembly constituencies reserved for them by the delimitation commission, Paharis, on the other hand, exist in the Assembly constituencies of Rajouri, Poonch, Kupwara and Baramulla district with 'diffuse' numbers.
For example, the percentage of Gujjar voters in the Kangan constituency of Kashmir division is 39 per cent as compared to the Kashmiri Muslim voters. Kangan is one of the nine Assembly constituencies recommended by the delimitation commission to be reserved for the Gujjar/Bakarwal community.
In comparison to this, the Pahari voter percentage in the Uri constituency of Baramulla district is not more than 25 per cent.
How can constituencies be reserved for Paharis based on their diffused population in J&amp;K and also how can those already recommended to be reserved for the Gujjar/Bakarwal community be kept intact while granting the same ST reservation for the Paharis?
Amit Shah's genuine concern to support the Pahari community that has for long been demanding reservation along with Gujjars and Bakarwals notwithstanding, the fine tuning and balancing the split of share in STs of the two communities would be walking the tightrope for New Delhi.
—IANS

The announcement made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his recent J&K visit assuring ST status to the Pahari community has ruffled many a feather among the Gujjar/Bakarwal community of the union territory.

 Balancing ST reservations in J&K: Tightrope walk for Centre

San Francisco (The Hawk): The leader in online hospitality, Airbnb, has announced that all visitors will need to confirm their identity in order to make a booking, and that it will crack down on parties reserved through its service.
The company's new regulations, which became effective on Wednesday, are intended to improve hosting experiences and boost platform bookings, The Verge reported.
About 80% of Airbnb's hosts and guests were verified prior to this expansion, according to Tara Bunch, head of global operations.
A person must confirm their identity before making an Airbnb reservation in one of the top 35 nations and regions, which together make up 90% of all reservations.
Guests are required to verify their identity during the process by giving personal information such as their legal name, address, phone number, and other contact details.
The business may also request a government-issued ID or a selfie.
The business also disclosed the expansion of its anti-party screening technology across North America, primarily targeting younger visitors who attempt to book nearby stays close to their residences.
The company had asserted that the number of reported unauthorised parties decreased by 35% when an earlier version of this programme was tested in Australia.
Anti-party screening and mandatory visitor authentication will both be put into place globally at the beginning of 2023.
(Inputs from Agencies)

The leader in online hospitality, Airbnb, has announced that all visitors will need to confirm their identity in order to make a booking, and that it will crack down on parties reserved through its service.

Airbnb verifies every visitor and cracks down on party reservations

New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, opposing the Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench order to hold the urban body elections without reservations for Other Backward Classes.
On Tuesday, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court ordered the government to conduct urban body elections in UP without implementing the OBC quota. As per the court order, all the seats reserved for OBCs will now be considered general. High Court also gave instructions to conduct the elections immediately.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Yogi Adityanath government constituted a Backward Classes Commission in the state to look into the matter.
The commission, which has five members, will be chaired by retired Judge Ram Avtar Singh.
"On the basis of the commission's report, the backward class reservation will be decided for UP's municipal body elections," an official statement said on Wednesday.
Former IAS officers CS Verma and Mahendra Kumar, former legal advisor Santosh Kumar Vishwakarma and former additional legal advisor and additional district judge Brijesh Kumar Soni are other members of the commission.
However, even after the High Court order, the government said that urban body elections in Uttar Pradesh would be held without backward class reservation.
"The commission will present its report after conducting a triple test for reservation for the OBC class in the body elections. On the basis of that report only, the government will fix the OBC quota in municipal elections," the statement said.
It may be noted that reservation for backward classes in local bodies was made in the Uttar Pradesh Municipality Act-1916 in 1994. In order to give reservations for the backward classes, a provision has also been made in the Act to conduct a survey.
According to this, a rapid survey of backward classes is to be conducted by the state government in every municipal body. Since 1991, all the elections to the municipal bodies (1995, 2000, 2006, 2012 and 2017) have been conducted on the basis of these provisions given in the Act and the report of the Rapid Survey. A survey of backward classes was conducted by the Panchayati Raj Department in May 2015. So far, on the basis of the same survey, elections to the three-tier panchayats have been conducted in 2015 and 2021.&nbsp;
—ANI

 The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, opposing the Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench order to hold the urban body elections without reservations for Other Backward Classes.

OBC Reservation In Urban Polls: Yogi Govt Files SLP In SC

Mumbai: The Maratha groups’ agitation for reservations continued for the 7th day in Jalna even as Congress’ Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Vijay Wadettiwar demanded a Special Session of Maharashtra Legislature to discuss and finalise the quotas for the community here on Monday.  Wadettiwar told mediapersons that the state government should convene a special sitting of the house to consider and finalise the Maratha quotas permanently.  Maratha groups have called for bandh in pockets of Jalna, Aurangabad, Solapur, Pune, Beed and other districts as police deployed tight security in all sensitive areas.  The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray experienced the community’s ire when his motorcade was blocked briefly by the Maratha Kranti Morcha activists, while he was en route to Jalna.  Raj Thackeray alighted from his vehicle when the Marathas put forth their demands which he assured to take up before his car was permitted to go ahead to Antarvali-Sarati village, where a group led by Manoj Jarange has been on a hunger strike since August 29.  Last evening, preliminary efforts by the Maharashtra government to resolve the crisis apparently failed to fructify after the agitators refused to call off their hunger strike, demanded quotas announcement within 48 hours, and suspension of all the police personnel involved in the caning incident on September 1.  Representing the state government, Minister Girish Mahajan said that the administration is positive on the issue, but sought at least one month’s time to work out a fool-proof policy which could withstand legal scrutiny.  The past two days have seen a galaxy of ruling and Opposition leaders rushing to Jalna to express solidarity with the Marathas and demanding justice for their cause.  They included 3 ex-Chief Ministers – Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray and Congress’ Ashok Chavan, descendants of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj – Sambhajiraje Bhosale and Udayanraje Bhosale, and others.
—IANS

The Maratha groups’ agitation for reservations continued for the 7th day in Jalna even as Congress’ Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Vijay Wadettiwar 

Maratha stir continues, Congress wants Special Legislature Session for quotas

Mumbai: In a significant step forward, the Maharashtra government on Thursday issued orders for those with Kunbi Caste (OBC) documentary proof from the 'Nizam era' to be given Kunbi caste certificates.
This would imply that Marathas with Kunbi Caste proofs shall be eligible for OBC reservations, fulfilling one of the demands of Manoj Jarange-Patil who is on a hunger strike for the past 10 days in Jalna.&nbsp;
Simultaneously, the state government issued a written appeal to Jarange-Patil that since the administration has published the orders, he should immediately call off his hunger strike.
The response of Jarange-Patil to the GR is still not known and it is likely to be clear later in the day.
A representative of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will call on Jarange-Patil shortly with the orders and the appeal, hoping to end the 10-day long agitation, which started in Jalna on August 29 and spread across the state after the police clampdown there on September 1.
On Wednesday, Shinde had announced that those possessing Nizam-era documents (of 1960s) when the Marathas were counted as â€˜Kunbisâ€™, would be given the Kunbi caste certificates to enable them avail the OBC quotas.&nbsp;
—IANS

In a significant step forward, the Maharashtra government on Thursday issued orders for those with Kunbi Caste

Maha issues quota orders for Kunbi Marathas, appeals to Jarange-Patil to call off hunger-strike

Solapur (Mahrashtra): As the Maharashtra government grapples with the Maratha reservations issue, the Dhangars on Friday adopted an aggressive stance for quotas and threw turmeric on a Minister to press for their demands.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil was the target of the turmeric attack by two persons at the government guest house, catching his aides and security unawares.
Vikhe-Patil was reading a memorandum the duo had handed to him when one of them whipped out a packet of turmeric powder and emptied it on the minister’s head and face, even as some others clicked videos which went viral.
As the aides and security caught the person, thrashed him and then handed him over to the local police, he was heard raising slogans demanding reservations for the Dhangar community.
He was identified as a Dhangar Aarakshan Kruti Samiti member Shekhar Bangale, who warned that next time they would not hesitate to "blacken the face" of ministers or even the CM if the Dhangar reservations issue is not sorted out.
Later, Vikhe-Patil sought to downplay the incident claiming that "turmeric powder is holy…and it’s a matter of joy", while assuring that the government is adopting a sensitive stand on Dhangar quotas issue.
The Dhangars get quotas under the Vimukta Jati &amp; Nomadic Tribes category, around 3.5 per cent, but they are on a warpath for quotas in the Scheduled Tribes group akin to the ‘Dhangad’ in other parts of India who are getting reservations under the SC category.
They claim that a typo-error in Dhangad which made them ‘Dhangar’ has created the complications and they are being clubbed with the VJNT category in Maharashtra. The Samiti leaders have said that the Dhangars had reservations under ST category during the Nizam era, and that should be taken into account. Presently, of the 52 per cent quota in the state, SCs get 13 per cent, STs 7 per cent, OBCs 19 per cent, and VJNT, Special BCs and NTs account for the rest 13 per cent.
Later, BJP Dhangar MLC Gopichand Padalkar said that smearing the turmeric on the minister is an auspicious gesture symbolising the blessings of Lord Khandoba, the community’s deity.
Padalkar said the government supports the Dhangar cause and the matter is in the courts, and hence urged the community not to get influenced by the Opposition’s tactics.
—IANS

As the Maharashtra government grapples with the Maratha reservations issue, the Dhangars 

Dhangars up ante for quotas, throw turmeric powder on Maharashtra Minister

Jalna: Throwing his weight behind the ongoing agitation for Maratha quotas, Shiv Pratishthan leader Sambhaji Bhide said here on Tuesday that ‘there’s no going back now’.
Bhide called on the Shivba Sanghatana leader Manoj Jarange-Patil, whose indefinite hunger strike entered the 15th day on Tuesday, and expressed his full support to the struggle for reservations.
He also appealed to Jarange-Patil to call off his hunger strike in view of his failing health, even as the latter resumed medication early Tuesday. ‘We are with you’ you are on the right path. This campaign must end with the grant of reservations, there is no looking back now! But, I appeal to you to please withdraw your hunger strike,” urged Bhide.
A frail Jarange-Patil smiled and said that he felt ‘stronger’ with the support of Bhide, who is addressed as Guruji by his followers and reiterated that he will not back out till the quotas are given to the Marathas.
Late on Monday, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde convened an all-party meeting to discuss the vexed issue and announced a panel to decide on the reservations issue within a month.
On behalf of all the state political parties, Shinde announced a series of demands by Jarange-Patil which the government has conceded and urged him to call off the fast immediately.
The government has decided to withdraw cases against the protestors, suspension of three senior police officers for the police crackdown on the Marathas in Antarvali-Sarati village on September 1.
The CM added that representatives of all the parties were unanimous over giving the reservations to the Maratha community but without affecting the existing quotas of any other community or groups or meting injustice to any section.
Jarange-Patil welcomed the move to withdraw cases against the Maratha protestors and the action on the police personnel but refused to end his fast or join the newly-formed government panel on the quotas issue.
—IANS

Throwing his weight behind the ongoing agitation for Maratha quotas, Shiv Pratishthan leader Sambhaji Bhide said here on Tuesday that ‘there’s no going back now

Bhide supports Maratha quotas agitation, says ‘no going back’

Lucknow: If there is one state where men have benefitted more than women because of reservation for women, it is Uttar Pradesh.
In Uttar Pradesh, out of the 9.1 lakh representatives, 3, 04,638 are women.
Yet the tangible and transformative contribution of grassroots women leaders remains sidelined, in favour of stories around failure and co-option.
The story of a man who broke his vow of celibacy in 2021 to marry and make his wife contest in the panchayat election after the seat was reserved for women, showcases the intense desire of men to retain their hold on seats reserved for women.
The husbands of women who are elected as panchayat heads are known in Uttar Pradesh as ‘Pradhan Pati’ and many in the village are more familiar with the Pradhan Pati than the Pradhan herself.
A woman Pradhan head from central Uttar Pradesh who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “I do not know anything about the work allotted to me and it is my husband who does all the work. My job is only to put my signature wherever my husband says.”
Asked whether she did not feel deprived of her authority in this situation, she said, “I do not know how the administration works and I do not want to land into any controversy or trouble. So, it is better that my husband takes care of everything.”
During her election, the photograph of her husband was placed as prominently as hers on the hoardings and he would address the election meetings.
“That is because no one knows me but everyone knows him and we got votes because of his name,” she confesses.
Social activists, meanwhile, feel that women in panchayats can make a difference if they assert themselves.
“Women leading a panchayat can really turn around the situation of a village. Women in panchayats add a humaneness to a governing body and stay more focused on social and human development issues rather than material transformations,” says Chandra Shekhar Pran, Founder, Teesri Sarkar, a public campaign for the institutional development of panchayats.
Pankunwar is a living example of it. She was an elected panch of Mamna village panchayat in Kabrai block, Mahoba district, Uttar Pradesh, for two consecutive terms from 2011 to 2021.
She has been constantly encouraging other women panchayat members to raise issues at the panchayat meetings regarding access to water and girls’ education.
Pankunwar raised the issue of roads in panchayat meetings and now the village has an unkempt but pucca road. “I used to tell other members that unless they raised issues around water and education, how would they get solved,” she said.
Mamna village lies in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, which is notorious for recurring droughts. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission of the Central government, the village has got water pipelines laid but no taps installed.
Namrata (name changed on request), on the other hand, is a young business graduate who opted out of a ‘safe and lucrative career’ to pursue politics.
She contested the panchayat polls and won but the past two years have left her completely disillusioned.
“I thought I was educated and could make a difference but it seems that the entire local administration is ranged against me. I can feel a sense of hostility in the meetings where the officials try to create obstacles and I often get isolated. The system is apparently too strong for an individual to make a difference,” says Namrata, who defeated a BJP candidate.
A retired official of the panchayati raj department in the state, said that 33 per cent reservation – or more— for women would not make much of a difference unless actual power is ensured in the hands of women.
“Women empowerment will be possible only when women start taking the authority into their hands and the government and husbands stop indulging in back seat driving,” he said.
The official who did not wish to be named, said that barely three or four per cent of the elected women in panchayats actually exercise their authority.
—IANS

If there is one state where men have benefitted more than women because of reservation for women, it is Uttar Pradesh.

In UP, men benefit more than voiceless women in reserved seats

Tinsukia: The Assam government on Friday decided to reserve seats for government school-educated students in medical and engineering colleges of the state, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
The decision was taken at the state Cabinet meeting, chaired by the chief minister, in this eastern Assam town.  Briefing reporters at the end of the meeting, the CM said the decision to reserve seats for government school pass-outs was taken to encourage more enrolment in these schools.  "We have decided to reserve five per cent seats in medical and engineering colleges for students who have studied in government schools from class 7 to 12," he said.
To boost industrial growth in the state, the cabinet has approved Rs 438 crore for three projects under the state industrial policy, he said.  The three projects are a bamboo crash barrier manufacturing unit by Bhagyashree Udyog in Bongaigaon, a hotel by Tata group in Kaziranga and a second Radison Blu hotel in Guwahati.  Sarma said these three projects will together create at least 1,400 new jobs.  He also said that a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Authority will be formed, headed by an IAS officer, to attract investment of more CSR funds in the state.  To simplify land-related issues, the cabinet decided to harmonise different types of land into five categories, the CM said.  "At present, there are about 100 nomenclatures to categorise different types of lands. This leads to confusion among the people. Henceforth, all land will be placed under five categories," he said.  He also said that about 2.25 lakh people are expected to have their land-related issues settled by the end of Mission Basundhara 2.0, which will conclude at the end of this month.  The cabinet also approved Rs 100 crore for payment of pending provident fund dues to workers of Assam Tea Corporation Ltd gardens, Sarma said, adding that after this, another Rs 100 crore in pending dues will be left and the government is trying to clear it by next year.  Among other decisions taken are increasing the upper age limit for public prosecutors and additional public prosecutors by five years, sanction of land for an institute of chartered accountants of India in North Guwahati and granting ration cards to retired fourth-grade government employees.  The chief minister also said several decisions targeted at the development of Tinsukia district were also taken at the meeting.  Among various projects approved are a multi-level car parking, an interstate bus terminus and a truck terminal in Tinsukia town, and several roads, bridges, stadium and other construction proposals for other parts of the district too.  Sarma also said the next cabinet meeting will be held in Lakhimpur in January and in Nalbari in February, in keeping with his government's decision to hold the sitting in different parts of the state.
—PTI

The Assam government on Friday decided to reserve seats for government school-educated students in medical and engineering colleges of the state

Medical, engineering colleges to reserve seats for govt-school pass-outs: Himanta

New Delhi: The Patiala House Court of Delhi on Monday sent accused Arun Reddy who allegedly handled the 'Spirit of Congress' X account, in connection with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah's 'deepfake morphed video' case, to judicial custody till May 7, 2024. Reddy was recently arrested by the Delhi Police in the case and was produced on Monday after three days of remand in the court.
Additional Sessions Judge (Link Judge) Neha Garg sent him to Judicial Custody for one day and also issued notice to the Investigation Officer of Delhi Police on a bail plea filed by Arun Reddy. Also Read: <a href="https://www.thehawk.in/posts/lok-sabha-2024:-fir-registered-against-nadda-amit-malviya-and-vijayendra-over-social-media-post" target="_self">https://www.thehawk.in/posts/lok-sabha-2024:-fir-registered-against-nadda-amit-malviya-and-vijayendra-over-social-media-post</a>&nbsp;
Last week, the Delhi Police arrested Arun Reddy, who handles the 'Spirit of Congress' X account, in connection with Amit Shah's doctored video case. In the doctored video, the Union Home Minster is purportedly heard saying that the BJP stands against the reservations in the country. However, during his address at a public meeting in Congress-ruled Telangana, Shah said, "If the BJP forms the government here, we will withdraw the unconstitutional reservations to Muslims. We will ensure that the SCs, STs and OBCs get quotas as guaranteed under the Constitution."  Earlier, five Congress workers were arrested by the Telangana Police in connection with Shah's fake video case.
—ANI

Patiala House Court in Delhi sends Arun Reddy, accused of handling 'Spirit of Congress' account in Amit Shah's deepfake video case, to judicial custody.

Amit Shah doctored video case: Accused Arun Reddy sent to judicial custody till tomorrow

Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh): Amid the ongoing debate between BJP and the Opposition leaders about the reservation and minority quota, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said 4 per cent of Muslim reservations will remain and that is YSR Congress Party's final word on it. Addressing a public gathering in Kurnool, the CM said, "On one hand, Chandrababu Naidu continues to join hands with the BJP which stands on removing the 4 per cent Muslim reservation, on the other hand, to seek minority votes, he comes up with new drama. Have you witnessed a chameleon-like Chandrababu Naidu? Come what may, 4 per cent of Muslim reservations will remain and that is YSR Congress Party's final word on it. My only question to Chandrababu Naidu is why does he continue the alliance with the NDA even after the NDA government pledges to cancel the 4 per cent reservation?"
Commenting on the ongoing Lok Sabha election battle, Reddy said, "In the next 4 days, the battle of Kurukshetra is set to take place. This election is not to elect MLAs and MPs, this election will decide the future of ongoing schemes and the development of every household. If you vote for Chandrababu Naidu, you are stopping all the welfare that this government has brought to the doorstep of the household." Criticising Chandrababu Naidu, the Andhra CM said, "For 14 years, Chandrababu Naidu boasts about being the CM - for a 3-year term. Does any poor remember the welfare that this man has brought to the State? We have brought welfare without discriminating against religion, caste, community, or other party members."  Earlier, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's remarks on Muslim reservation had kicked up a storm and drew flak from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Muslims should get a reservation (reservation toh milna chahiye Musalmano ko, pura'...)," Yadav said. However, the RJD Chief later clarified that he was in favour of extending reservation benefits to Muslims but emphasized that it should be "based on social backwardness and not based on religion." "I implemented the 'Mandal Commission'. Reservation samajik adhar par hota hai dharmik aadhar par nahi hota hai (it is based on social backwardness and not based on religion). Atal Bihari Vajpayee constituted the Constitution Review Commission,"Lalu Yadav said.  The Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh will be held on May 13. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the YSRCP won with a thumping majority of 151 seats, while the TDP was confined to 23 seats. In the Lok Sabha polls, the YSRCP won 22 seats, while the TDP could only win three seats.
—ANI

Amid the ongoing political debate in Andhra Pradesh, CM YS Jagan stands firm on 4% Muslim reservations, challenging BJP and TDP's contrasting stances as elections approach.

The Hawk

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Balancing ST reservations in J&K: Tightrope walk for Centre

Pankaj Sharma

Tag : reservations

Balancing ST reservations in J&K: Tightrope walk for Centre

Pankaj Sharma

More about reservations