Patna: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday blurred the distinction between Mahadalits and Dalits by announcing that benefits of all welfare schemes run by the Mahadalit Vikas Mission will henceforth be applicable to all Scheduled Castes.
"Now all schemes of the Mahadalit Vikas Mission will be for all Dalits. Don't worry about 'residential land' or any other thing. The arrangements for Mahadalits will be applicable for all Scheduled Castes," Nitish said.
The announcement, in effect, means that Paswans, so far excluded from the benefits extended to other Mahadalits, have been brought into the Mahadalit fold.
Though Nitish stopped short of declaring Paswan as a Mahadalit caste, he went all out to woo it.
"The dependants of chowkidars and dafadars (village guards) will get the same posts if their fathers recommend their names slightly before their retirement. We have decided to increase their annual uniform allowance from Rs 3,000 per annum to Rs 7,000 for chowkidars and Rs 8,000 per year for dafadars," Nitish said.
Chowkidars and dafadars have been picked from the Paswan caste since Mughal and British times. They serve as point-persons for regular police and are considered vital for intelligence gathering. They are also responsible for night patrolling in villages.
The chief minister reached out to the Paswans on a day the National Democratic Alliance flexed its Dalit muscle at a programme hosted by its tallest Scheduled Caste leader, Ram Vilas Paswan, to mark the 127th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar.
The event was attended by, among others, Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Upendra Kushwaha and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi.
Paswan urged his Lok Janshakti Party members to launch an agitation "to demand reservation in the judiciary". "We will also move court to get 'reservation in promotion' implemented," he said.
For Paswan, Nitish's announcement has come as a relief. Ever since Nitish rejoined the NDA, RJD leaders have needled Paswan over his silence on the Mahadalit issue.
In 2010, Nitish had clubbed 21 of the 22 Dalit sections and termed them Mahadalits. The only section he left out was the Paswans. At the time, the LJP chief was with Lalu Prasad and a political rival.
For Nitish, the Mahadalit factor has outlived its purpose politically. Dalits constitute around 15 per cent of Bihar's population, of which roughly 6 per cent are Paswans who are in sizeable numbers in several Lok Sabha constituencies.
