From ‘Rohith Vemula Act’ to reservations in higher judiciary, Congress lists out its social justice commitments

Enacting a law named the ‘Rohith Vemula Act’ “to safeguard the right to education and dignity” for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and minorities; creating a dedicated Ministry for the empowerment of OBCs; from securing equal access to jobs in the private organised sector for SCs, STs and OBCs to considering reservations for them in the higher judiciary — these were part of the Congress’s resolution on social justice at its 85th plenary session that concluded on Sunday. In what reflects a coordinated effort to check the expanding social base of the BJP and woo back traditional supporters among minorities, the Congress’ resolution on social justice, adopted during its 85th plenary session that concluded on Sunday, talks of the party re-committing itself to “strongly resist the attacks on India’s welfare and affirmative action architecture by engaging in constructive politics and implementing creative policies”. The draft also makes a mention of mob lynching — a term that has been used for several incidents in the recent past where mob violence over issues like cattle smuggling have claimed several lives, particularly in the Hindi belt — and expresses commitment “to further strengthen the legal mechanism for ensuring protection of rights of these communities”. Agriculture, youth, education The highlight of the party’s agriculture resolution is making Minimum Support Price for crops a legally enforceable right of farmers, with any purchase of agricultural produce below it a punishable offence.