The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) on Sunday marked the 35th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh with a social justice conference where several political parties raised demands for an equality commission and a caste census.
The resolution, which was presented by former Union Minister Srikant Jena, said a true tribute to Chaudhary Charan Singh would be attempt to provide practical solutions to the problems of unemployment, agricultural distress and the lack of a voice. Mr. Jena proposed the establishment of a new economic policy that would focus on job creation instead of wealth creation; undertaking a caste census to be held immediately to enable “targeted affirmative action for those communities that have been left behind”; setting up a social justice commission or an equal opportunities commission to analyse the caste census data and recommend affirmative action for public and private sectors; and a “regional balance commission”.
RLD national president and Chaudhary Charan Singh’s grandson, Jayant Chaudhary, said it was important to hold social justice programmes across States.
