Anti-reservation protestors demand policy review, creamy layer provision

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of people gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Friday for a protest against caste-based reservation, with participants demanding that affirmative action be based on economic criteria rather than caste. The demonstration followed a call given by "Reservation Hatao Andolan", an Instagram-based page that subsequently appealed to people to join a physical protest at Jantar Mantar.

Police said permission was not granted for the demonstration. Heavy security was deployed in the area, with police and paramilitary personnel positioned at key points and barricades put up around the protest site. The protesters -- a majority of whom were men -- arrived carrying banners, posters and saffron flags, and raised slogans in support of their demands.

"Our demand is that economic condition should be considered while deciding who needs government support. A poor person, irrespective of caste, should be provided assistance for education, coaching and other needs," a protester associated with the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha, said.

Another participant said the protesters wanted a review of the existing reservation system , arguing that its benefits did not always reach the most disadvantaged sections. "We have been raising this issue for several years. Our contention is that the government should examine whether the present system is achieving its intended purpose and whether benefits are reaching people at the grassroots level," he said. Some protesters also called for the introduction of a "creamy-layer" criterion in reservation and sought changes in policies relating to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC).

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'Reservation Hatao Andolan'

"We are not saying that economically weaker people should be left without support. We are saying that assistance should be targeted at those who need it, including through scholarships, fee support and coaching," another protester said. A participant also questioned the continuation of reservation provisions decades after their introduction, saying the government should review the policy in the context of present-day social and economic conditions.

"The circumstances have changed considerably over the decades. There should be a wider discussion on whether the existing framework needs to be reviewed and how economic disadvantage can be addressed without discrimination," he said.

The protesters also raised issues relating to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and higher education policies, including the University Grants Commission (UGC) framework. Police sources said some people who gathered at the site in the morning were removed as no permission had been granted for holding the demonstration. Personnel were also checking people moving towards the area, they said. Some protesters alleged that internet jammers had been deployed around the site, making it difficult to access social media from the area. The claim could not be independently verified.