Congress marches to Raj Bhavan for separate OBC column in Caste Census

The Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee’s OBC Department organised a march to Raj Bhavan in Ranchi on Wednesday, demanding a separate column for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the caste census.

Led by state Congress OBC Department president Nishant Jaiswal, the march began at Bapu Vatika and was attended by Congress leaders, functionaries, workers, OBC representatives and delegates from various districts. Participants demanded scientific and transparent enumeration of the OBC population and raised issues concerning their social, economic, educational and political representation.

After the march, a Congress delegation submitted a memorandum addressed to the President to Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar, urging the inclusion of a separate OBC column in the caste census.

State Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh said caste census data was essential for understanding the social and economic conditions of different sections of society. He said the absence of clear data on the OBC population and its socio-economic status made it difficult to assess the effectiveness of policies and welfare schemes meant for the community.

Rural Development Minister Deepika Pandey Singh said the demand should not be viewed merely as a political issue, but as one linked to social justice and equal opportunities. She said reliable demographic and socio-economic data was important for policy formulation in areas including education, employment, health, housing and economic opportunities.

Minister Irfan Ansari said the participation of a large number of people in the march reflected the seriousness of the demand. He said clear data on the OBC population could help in formulating future policies and programmes.

Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Yadav said updated data on the population and socio-economic conditions of different sections was necessary for effective policy targeting. State OBC Department in-charge Yogendra Yogi said the Congress would continue to pursue the demand through democratic and constitutional means.

Former MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu and former state Congress president Rajesh Thakur also called for scientific data on the OBC population. Sahu said reliable population figures were important for implementing social justice policies, while Thakur said a separate OBC column would provide governments with data for policy formulation.

Jaiswal said the march marked the beginning of a continued democratic campaign on the issue. He said the Congress would continue to raise the demand for social justice, equal opportunities and representation.

The delegation that submitted the memorandum included Keshav Mahto Kamlesh, Nishant Jaiswal, MLA Mamta Devi, Yogendra Yogi, former MLA Amba Prasad, Abhilash Sahu, Shashibhushan Rai, Rakesh Kiran Mahto and Aditya Vikram Jaiswal.

Several Congress leaders, including MLA Ramchandra Singh, former minister Banna Gupta, Bandhu Tirkey, former MLA JP Patel, Jaleshwar Mahato and others, participated in the march.

The Congress has urged the Centre to consider the demand for a separate OBC column in the caste census and take necessary action.