Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch (DSMM), an organization advocating for Dalit rights and against social oppression, has written an urgent letter to President Droupadi Murmu urging her to intervene in a recent Supreme Court matter concerning the potential introduction of a "creamy layer" exclusion for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in reservation benefits.

In the letter dated February 19, Subhashini Ali, ex-MP and Vice President of DSMM, expressed deep concern over a Supreme Court hearing on February 12, 2026. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant (comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N.V. Anjaria) directed the Central Government to submit criteria for identifying and excluding the "creamy layer" (economically advanced sections) among SCs and STs from reservation quotas. The court granted the Centre six weeks to file its response.

The petitions under consideration were filed by O.P. Shukla and his organization, Samta Andolan Samiti, along with similar pleas seeking enforcement of aspects from the Supreme Court's landmark August 1, 2024, judgment in State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh. In that 6:1 majority ruling by a seven-judge Constitution bench, the court permitted sub-classification within SCs and STs to better target benefits to the most backward subgroups and observed that the creamy layer principle—already applicable to Other Backward Classes (OBCs)—should extend to SCs and STs to ensure substantive equality.

DSMM strongly opposed this development, arguing that applying the creamy layer to SCs and STs would "negate the very concept of social justice." The letter highlighted that these communities continue to face severe discrimination, humiliation, violence, and untouchability despite any limited economic progress through reservations and affirmative action. It emphasized that even those few individuals who have achieved some economic stability remain vulnerable to caste-based oppression, making exclusion based on income criteria inappropriate and counterproductive.

The organization described the economic prosperity within SCs and STs as "negligible" and any benefits gained as "far from secure and stable."

DSMM called on the President to:

Intervene to ensure the Supreme Court dismisses petitions advocating for creamy layer exclusion in SC/ST reservations.

Direct the Central Government to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing any such introduction.

Prioritize monitoring and effective implementation of existing reservation policies in jobs and education to fulfill the constitutional goal of a just society.

The letter comes amid ongoing national debate following the 2024 judgment and recent court proceedings, where the creamy layer issue for SCs/STs has resurfaced as a contentious topic balancing affirmative action with evolving notions of equity.