Patna: Differences within the NDA over the contentious issue of sub-categorisation of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservations came out in the open on Saturday with two prominent Dalit netas from Bihar – Union ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi –taking sharply divergent positions.The dispute escalated after HAM(S) president and Bihar minister Santosh Kumar Suman reiterated his party’s demand for sub-categorisation of SC/ST reservation to ensure the most deprived communities receive a greater share of its benefits. With the Supreme Court permitting sub-categorisation, the issue has acquired renewed political significance.Chirag strongly opposed any review of reservation and demanded Manjhi and his son resign if they supported such measures. “The constitutional provision of SC/ST reservation is based on social discrimination and not economic status. If they want to change the Constitution, then debate the issue in Parliament. Those who talk or think about reviewing reservation should first resign, as they actually want to completely end it and reduce its scope,” Chirag said.He asserted reservation was in place yesterday, is in place today and would continue in the future.Reacting to Chirag’s demand, Suman said he was ready to resign. “As far as resignations go, we are ready. My younger brother’s party is the bigger one; they have more numbers than us and are politically third-generation too — so let them take the lead. Let him step forward by resigning and we are prepared to resign alongside him,” he said.Suman maintained reviewing reservation did not mean abolishing it. He said HAM(S) was seeking sub-categorisation, or a “quota within a quota”, so communities at the bottom of the social and economic hierarchy could benefit. He cited Musahar, Bhuiyan, Dom, Halkhor and Nat among communities facing continued deprivation and discrimination.The issue has also exposed differences within the NDA. JD(U) national general secretary and MLA Shyam Rajak opposed any discussion on reviewing reservation, warning that tampering with the system could create serious social tensions. He said reservation was a constitutional right, not charity.The debate carries particular political significance in Bihar, where Dalit communities are diverse. The Nitish Kumar govt introduced the Mahadalit category in 2007 to identify the most deprived Dalit communities.Political analysts see the row as a fight for caste and community supremacy between Manjhi and Chirag. Manjhi’s family belongs to the Musahar-associated Bhuiyan community, accounting for around 4% of Bihar’s total SC population, while the Ravidas and Paswan communities account for approximately 5.3% and 5.2%, respectively.The Supreme Court’s Aug 1, 2024 Constitution Bench judgment allowing states to create sub-categories within SC and ST reservations has added a new dimension to the debate with Bihar’s NDA partners now publicly divided over the issue.
