Bharat Bandh 21 August 2024: Emergency Services, Banks ...
The Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti has called for a Bharat Bandh on Wednesday, August 21, in response to the Supreme Court's recent decision on SC/ST reservations. The Bharat bandh has garnered strong support from SC/ST communities of Rajasthan. The protest is also expected to see widespread participation across the country. The government has instructed the concerned authorities to take proper measures to ensure law and order during the protest.
Check here for latest updates on Bharat Bandh News: The call for today's Bharat Bandh has received support from a number of opposition political parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.
Impact on Services
As per the latest news, there is no official announcement regarding the closure of banks and government offices. However, Rajasthan government has declared a holiday for the students of Class 1 to Class 12, in lieu of Baharat Bandh. As a result, the children's exams have also been postponed.
During the Bharat Bandh, schools, colleges, and petrol pumps will generally stay open. However, a school holiday has been declared in specific areas of Rajasthan, including Dausa, Jaipur, Gangapur City, Bharatpur, Deeg, Jhunjhunu, Gurgaon, and Sawai Madhopur.
Support for Bharat Bandh
Mayawati's BSP has backed the Bharat Bandh. She stated that parties like the BJP and Congress are working together to undermine the reservation system, and eventually end it.
Supreme Court Ruling
A seven-judge constitution bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud ruled, with a 6:1 majority, that states are allowed to further divide SCs and STs into sub-groups. This allows them to allocate quotas more effectively to those who have faced the most discrimination within these communities. The court stated that "Scheduled Castes are not a single, uniform group. State governments can create sub-categories within them in order to ensure that those who have faced more severe discrimination receive a greater share of the allocated 15% reservation."
Reason for Protest
The main reason behind the protest is the Supreme Court ruling of allowing different states to sub-classify the SC/ST community as per the degree of discrimination the community had to face. The ruling, which aims to focus reservations on those most in need, has faced strong pushback from various social and political groups. Critics argue that this decision weakens the core principles of the reservation system. As a result, there is a call for a Bharat Bandh to demand that the decision be reversed.
Services during Bharat Bandh
The Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti has asked all businesses to close in support of the protest. However, it's still unclear if markets across the country will actually shut down, as there has been no official word from market committees, according to a report by The Times of India. As per the media sources, there might be some services that will get affected with this Bharat Bandh. However, it is clear that emergency services, including medical assistance will remain functional throughout the day.
Operational Services on August 21
Check the table below to know which services will remain operational on August 21:
Expected Impact
The call for Bharat Bandh is expected to garner support all over the country. The protest against the SC’s ruling is expected to cause disruption in certain services including public transportation. However, schools, banks, government offices are to remain open during this protest.
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