Many outraged members of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) took to the streets in Jammu demanding the long pending execution of provision 27 % reservation as formulated by the Mandal Commission in the union territory of J&K. This is a ruling which was passed and implemented in all states except J&K.
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The Mandal Commission was set up in 1979 by the then government of Morarji Desai to identify socially or educationally backward classes to address caste discrimination. It was chaired by B.P. Mandal, who was once the Chief Minister of Bihar. The Commission recommended that members of OBCs be given 27 percent reservations for jobs under the Central government and public sector undertakings.
Showing resentment the local OBC community of Jammu decried the local government on the issue of implementing reservation Quota while its benefits are being taken by the OBCs of the other states of India.
A protestor said, “Our foremost demand is the implementation of 27% OBC quota provided by the Mandal Commission. We want representation of different caste columns in various government employment forms. In 1992, The Supreme Court of India reserved 27% seats for OBCs in all government institutions in all the states but in J&K we were only given 2% quota which was eventually raised to 4%, but we strongly demand the Quota to be raised to its full capacity as mentioned in the Mandal Commission so that we can avail its full benefits like the OBCs of other states.”
Furthermore he said, “In 2014 when PM Shri Narendra Modi @narendramodi visited Jammu he iterated that rulings passed by the Supreme Court are not directly applicable in J&K because of Article 370 due to which the OBC community suffered. But it has been two and half years since the abrogation of Article 370, provisions under the Mandal Commission are still not implemented. We want to secure the future of our children and we don’t want them to suffer discrimination like the way we have suffered for past seventy years.”
Another protestor added that all the past governments of seventy years has manipulated and misused this aspect for their political gains in terms of vote bank benefits. Despite the current present Prime Minister Mr. Narendera Modi being from the OBC category but still no one is providing this community of J&K with their rights.
Aman Zutshi
