Meira protests over Doordarshan's use of 'lower castes' for SCs

New Delhi, July 27 (UNI) Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Meira Kumar has protested the use of 'lower castes and upper castes' for SCs, STs and OBCs in the Press and other media, especially the government owned, and wants the Government to check such usage.

Ms Kumar today shot down a letter to Minister of Information and Broadcasting Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, urging him to issue appropriate directions to the media for using the Constitutionally-accepted terms like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other backward Classes while referring to the persons belonging to these categories.

The provocation for the letter was an application by a person from Haryana in which he had pointed out to the Minister the use of descriptions 'upper castes and lower castes' in programmes of Doordarshan, an official said.

Ms Kumar was of the view that the use of inappropriate terms, particularly in the Government sponsored institutions, would produce an adverse effect on the minds of people belonging to the those categories.

Besides, such a usage would weaken the spirit of social justice and equity in the society, she felt.

When the Indian Constitution expressly mandates against discrimination in the field of education, health, employment and many others, specific instances of use of caste-based discription in Government Institutions and media have come to the notice of the Ministry, which was a cause of great concern, the Minister said in the letter.

Ms Kumar said her Ministry was taking up the issue as it was mandated to work towards empowering the identified vulnerable sections of the society like Scheduled Castes.

The Ministry has been making sustainable efforts through its various policies and programmes for ensuring fair treatment and a just share of the benefits of society for the marginalised groups.

UNI