On Tuesday, July 18, in a stark display of dissent, around 20 youngsters from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe community in Chhattisgarh stripped naked as they protested against SC/ST reserved jobs being usurped by ineligible people using fake caste certificates. The protesters held protests near the Vidhan Sabha on the first day of the monsoon session of the assembly.
According to the initial reports, the protesting individuals held placards and ran naked toward the state assembly building. The placards demanded action against those who allegedly got jobs using fake caste certificates. The protesters also chanted slogans against the state government. However, they were later detained by the police.
Vinay Kaushal, the spokesperson for the SC/ST category fake caste certificate case Sangharsh Samitee, stated that the nude protest that was held on July 18 in front of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly demanded immediate action against individuals holding fake caste certificates.
Since the state’s formation, quotas intended for SC and ST have been misused in both government jobs and political positions, according to reports from numerous government ministries, Kaushal said. A high-level caste certificate verification committee was established by the state administration in response to the seriousness of this issue.
In their review of 758 cases spanning the years 2000 to 2020, the committee uncovered 267 instances of forged caste certificates. As a result, the government ordered to remove officials and workers with fraudulent diplomas from crucial positions immediately. As some people retired and others contested the committee’s conclusions in court, Kaushal expressed concern about the insufficient execution of these orders.
Additionally, he claimed that many fake certificate holders managed to secure promotions and continue to work in significant positions despite the government’s directive.
The issue of bogus caste certificates being used in Chhattisgarh to obtain government employment has been in the headlines for a while. In 2021, a PWD executive engineer was demoted for using a fictitious Scheduled Tribe (ST) caste certificate.
Those opposed to candidates using false caste certificates to obtain government positions claim that despite repeated requests and the discovery of numerous such cases, the department has not taken any action. Those in protest alleged that employees with false caste certificates take advantage of all benefits and that the state commission does little to stop them.
The monsoon session of the Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha began today. This session will have four sittings and conclude on July 21.