The Other Backward Classes (OBC) in Odisha are victims of long time State apathy to ensure their representation in governance and participation in development. They are mostly producers and service providing communities who continue to remain socially, educationally and economically backward.
Historically, they have been deprived of owning productive assets, land and education and denied a reasonable share in governance because of their social identity in the caste structure of Hindu social order. In the fast changing traditional rural economy, technology and production process, they are facing the challenges of economic liberalization and privatization. A majority of OBCs in the State are farmers, sharecroppers, artisans, weavers, milk farmers, cattle rearers, small food venders, carpenters, blacksmiths, small traders, barbers and many other small communities who are engaged in production in many ways and contributing to the economic growth of the State. They have very insignificant share in the State administration, executive, judiciary, legislative, business, trade, and media and in the decision making bodies of ruling political parties, which are major causes contributing to their marginalization process since long. There has been distress migration of youths of OBCs along with other marginalized in rural areas in search of livelihood and employment. The privatization of technical and higher education has restricted the access of students of poor families to get the education. The increasing unemployment problem among educated youths creates distress condition in families struggling for survival. All these economic distresses lead to demand for adequate State protection and public investment through affirmative action for the OBCs in ensuring higher education, skill development, fair share in Government jobs and scope of self-employment through protective access to credit and related facilities under schemes of Government. Unfortunately, two most important affirmative actions for OBCs, the reservation in the education and jobs and self-employment, have been deliberately neglected by the State Government. Though Odisha has started a very late intervention in comparison to other States of India, the reservation policy has been partly implemented violating constitutional provisions.
The State Government implements only 11.25 per cent in place of 27 per cent for OBC. Besides, the State Government has identified a State category under SEBC where the list has included few more communities which are not in the Central OBC list.
The State Government has not allocated adequate resources to the OBC Finance Development Cooperative Corporation for the self-employment of OBC youths and their economic development. The National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (NBCFDC) set up in 1992 has been channelizing support through State agencies for development of education, agriculture, artisanal work, technical and professional trade, transport and service among deserving OBCs for their self-employment. The NBCFDC sanctioned Rs 445.98 crore to the State agencies during the year 2014-2015 till March 31, 2015. Odisha has received Rs 1,435.61 lakh for 6,747 beneficiaries. The NBCFDC has an educational loan scheme for OBC students of Rs 10 lakh to study in the country and Rs 20 lakh to study abroad with an interest rate of 4 per cent per annum and 3.5 per cent for girl students. The States such as Kerala, Punjab, Gujarat and Karnataka have used this benefit for the
education development of the OBCs, but unfortunately, Odisha has very poor performance in execution of such schemes for OBCs with support of the NBCFDC.
This inaction of the Government shows its political commitment for the development of the OBC communities in the State. No powerful socio-political movement of the backward classes to influence the administrative and political will in favour of development of OBCs of the State is found.
It is reported that more than two decades after Mandal, the quota for OBCs has not filled up in group A, B, C and D of the Central Government ministries, departments and other statutory bodies. The Central Government provides 27per cent reservation for OBCs in Central Government services and Central educational institutions. The reservation of services in States is a matter of concern. It is reported by MSJE that States such as Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura have no reservation for OBCs as they have insignificant OBC population. Tamil Nadu provides 50 per cent reservation to OBCs which is highest percentage in the country. Tamil Nadu even had reservation for backward classes before independence. The other southern States such as Kerala, Karnataka, Puduchery and Andhra Pradesh have 40 per cent, 32 per cent, 34 per cent and 29 per cent reservation for OBCs respectively and there are classifications of OBC reservation to reach to the most deserving groups that includes backward Muslims within the backward classes of the State. Odisha has provision of 27per cent reservation for SEBC. The Odisha Reservation of Posts and Services (for socially and educationally backward classes) Act 2008 has not been implemented to keep the quota limit within 50per cent. As a result, the State Government has brought down the SEBC reservation limit to 11.25 per cent, while 16.25 per cent for SCs and 22.5 per cent for STs are in place. In order to ensure 27 per cent for SEBCs, the quota limit has to be raised up to 65.25 per cent in the State. Tamil Nadu has been implementing total 69per cent reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs of the State with 50per cent for OBC, (BCs 26.5per cent, BC Muslim 3.5per cent, MBC 20per cent), 18per cent for SCs and 1per cent for STs. So it is argued that a State such as Odisha with a majority of SCs, STs and OBCs must have the desired reservation to ensure their just share in State employment and educational opportunities created out of public finance. The violation of principles of reservation in State employment is directly violating the constitutional right under Article 16, which says equal opportunity in matter of public employment and also 16(4) which says about State initiative to ensure employment. Based on the criteria of social, educational and economic backwardness, the Government of Odisha notified 209 castes /communities as SEBC. The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment notified 194 castes /communities along with their synonym on the basis of the recommendation of the National Commission for Backward Classes as OBCs in Odisha. The Vision- 2036 for building inclusive development of Odisha must be inclusive of the OBCs.
(manasbbsr15@gmail.com)