NEW DELHI: The Haryana government has asked the Centre to remove certain caste names from the state list of Scheduled Castes because they are “objectionable”, a reference to the caste appellations that are widely viewed as pejorative and also serve as slurs from supremacists.
The names sought to be deleted are ‘Chura’ and ‘Bhangi’, which are mentioned at serial no. 2 of the SC list, and ‘Mochi’, which is listed at serial no. 9 of the SC list.
Sources said the state, in a letter this month, has argued that the names are “not only objectionable but have lost relevance as well”.
‘Deleting names a bid to fight caste prejudice‘
The letter states that Haryana reviewed the list of SCs and zeroed in on the three names as worthy of being deleted.
It is learnt that Haryana (social justice, empowerment, welfare of SCs and BCs, and Antyodaya department) has claimed that it had sent a similar request in Aug 2013, but its fate is not known. Sources, however, said there is no record of the earlier letter having been received by the ministry of social justice and empowerment. The fresh letter is being examined by the ministry, sources added.
From the state’s perspective, the move appears designed to remove from official and public parlance names, which, though rooted in traditional occupations identified with social groups, have turned into convenient instruments of prejudice. When hurled with a negative and derisive connotation, they often form part of caste prejudice complained about under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, that carries stringent provisions of punishment.
However, for such a request for deletion to be carried out, the Centre will have to amend the Constitution (SCs) Order, 1950, as is done for inclusion and exclusion of castes from the lists of SCs and STs.
