Jammu, 23 June (H.S.): The representatives of OBC organizations expressed grave concern over the house listing and house demarcation forms being used in the first phase of Census-2027, wherein separate columns have been provided for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), but no separate column has been provided for Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

The speakers during protest near Press Club Jammu today, stated that the absence of a separate OBC column would have serious consequences for millions of backward-class people across the country. They pointed out that OBC families who are houseless or living in kaccha houses may not receive targeted budgetary allocations and welfare benefits in future national budgets in the manner that separate provisions are often planned and monitored for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes through category-wise census data. Without separate enumeration, the actual socio-economic condition of OBC communities cannot be scientifically assessed for policy planning and welfare schemes.

The gathering further emphasized that due to the absence of reliable and updated caste-based population data, OBC communities are not receiving representation and benefits in proportion to their actual population. The last comprehensive caste-based census was conducted in 1931, nearly a century ago, and the Mandal Commission relied upon those figures while recommending reservation for OBCs.

The speakers stated that due to the lack of actual figures of the OBC population in the country, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, backward-class communities continue to face difficulties in securing their rightful share in Government employment, political representation, and reservation in local self-Government institutions. They stressed that accurate enumeration of OBC communities in Census-2027 is essential for ensuring social justice, equitable development, evidence-based policymaking, and effective implementation of constitutional safeguards.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar