Mr. President, the principle of reservation generally is one which has done much harm to our country. I do not wish to dilate on it and if we have accepted this principle of reservation in the case of the Scheduled Castes and the aboriginals, it is because there is a very strong case for them. If there is any case, the case is for these two classes of people in our country. The proposal that the period should terminate after ten years and there should be no reservation after that is certainly a desirable one. But at the same time, I wish to add my own humble voice to that of the previous speaker, and I wholeheartedly share the sentiments which he has expressed in this House. If we really want to raise the Scheduled Castes to that level in which the other communities in this country find themselves, we have to be very earnest about the matter. If the Provincial Governments or for the matter of that, the Central Government feel satisfied that they have set apart a certain sum, that they have appointed certain officers and that they have thereby discharged their duty and obligation, it would not be proper. We have seen speaker after speaker rising from among the Scheduled Castes, Members here–speakers who share our national feeling, who are equally patriotic, but who feel for their brethren and for the troubles and sufferings to which they are being put in the interior particularly. I, therefore, suggest that the Central Government and the Provincial Governments, if they are really serious that this period of ten years should not be extended and that within ten years we should sincerely and honestly discharge our obligations to these two classes of our countrymen who have remained very much backward so long, we should be really very earnest about the matter and I would suggest that the Government should whip up the Provincial Governments and if possible at the end of every year or every two years watch how much progress has been made in the matter. If, Sir, within these ten years by the combined efforts of the Governments, of the upper classes and of the Schedule Castes, we have not been able to raise them up to the level to which we would like all communities of this country all classes of people of this country to be raised we cannot have any case for terminating that period of reservation. And therefore, while on the one hand, I support this proposal that during this period of ten years alone seats should be reserved and that no reservation should continue in this country after that, I very strongly support the plea made out by the previous speaker, Mr. Chandrika Ram and certain other speakers that every possible effort should be made both by Government by the people, by various organization in this country to see that the Scheduled Castes and the aboriginal tribes also are raised to that level to, which we find all other communities in this country raised so far.
