Union Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily on Wednesday said a caste-based census will help generate a more “authentic” and fresh data on backward classes in the country.
Mr. Moily, who has been favouring inclusion of castes in the census, said the exercise will be “more authentic, because after 1931 there is no caste-based data with regard to the OBCs... it is more appropriate.”
The Law Minister had a few months ago written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to include castes in the latest census exercise.
“There are differing views (in the Cabinet) but that does not mean divisions,” he said when asked about the lack of consensus at the Cabinet meeting yesterday on conducting caste-based census.
When pointed out that Home Minister P. Chidambaram had expressed opposition to caste-based census at the Cabinet meeting, Mr. Moily said he was not opposing but only representing the views of the Home Ministry.
Mr. Moily’s Cabinet colleague Farooq Abdullah said the discussions to explore views on caste-based census were for the next census and not the exercise currently underway.
“There is no question of division... The census has already started. So, it is not possible to do it in this census... I don’t think it is possible this time to introduce this,” Mr. Abdullah, Minister for New and Renewable Energy, told reporters outside the Parliament.
“If it had to be done for this census, this discussion should have been held earlier,” said Mr. Abdullah who had participated in the discussions on the issue in the Cabinet meeting.
History of OBC Reservation
Under Article 340 of the Indian constitution it is obligatory for the government to promote the welfare of the Other Backward Classes.
The first Backward Classes Commission headed by Shri kaka kalelkar in 1953, and Mandal Commission headed by Shri B.P.Mandal in 1980 has given many useful recommendations for the welfare of Other Backward Classes. The population of OBC’s which includes Hindus and Non-Hindus was around 52% of the total population according to the commission.
27% of reservation was recommended owing to legal constraints that the total quantum of reservation should not exceed 50%.
One of the most important recommendations is that all private sector undertakings which have received financial assistance from the government in one form or another should be obliged to recruit personnel on the reservation basis. But, even after 2 decades we are unable to get it inspite of our continuous efforts.
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One needs to understand the psychology of opposition of reservation to OBC’s.
When the jobs are nowhere and everything is gone private, then why are the upper castes angry with the reservation for Backward Communities?
The fact is that seats for dalits were rarely fulfilled and we have seen huge backlog. There has been no protest. It was easier to curtail the protest of the dalits because of their numbers and social background.
Now the reservation for backward communities being a reality, the powerful backward communities will hit and break the bone of upper castes. That is the fear of this community. They know that there are enough students from these communities who will join great institutes of technology and management.
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To be strong in the present scenario, it is more important to show our strength and unity of OBC’s. AIOBC association work towards social justice. AIOBC is giving hand and helping us in this regard.
The issue of under-representation of the socio-economically deprived, discriminated backward caste and classes in the spheres of education, employment, administration and commerce is burning at this stage. I appeal all the member associations to work hard towards the success of the reservation policies.
Let us truly reform our society and work for a truly democratic
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
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