Split OBC quota for better caste representation in Gujarat: Congress MP writes to Modi

Palanpur (Gujarat): Congress MP Geniben Thakor has demanded that the existing 27 per cent reservation quota in place for the Other Backward Classes be divided into two parts for better representation of all castes under the OBC category in Gujarat.

In a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, Thakor said the split in OBC quota was necessary because out of the total 146 backward castes in Gujarat, only five to ten castes were getting majority of the benefits while other "extremely backward castes" received only one or two per cent benefits.

These extremely backward castes in Gujarat include Thakor, Koli, Vadi, Dabgar, Kharva, Madari, Nat, Salat, Vanzara, Dhobi, Mochi and Vaghri, said Thakor, who represents Banaskantha seat in Parliament as the lone Congress Lok Sabha MP from Gujarat.

To end the disparity, Thakor suggested that the 27 per cent OBC quota be split in two parts - 7 per cent quota for those who receive maximum benefits so far and a separate 20 per cent quota for the extremely backward classes that received negligible benefits during the last 20 years.

Without mentioning any specific castes, Thakor claimed that "five to ten" castes, which are economically powerful and socially closer to the general category castes, have been receiving 90 per cent of all the benefits under the 27 per cent OBC quota.

"On the other hand, Thakors, Kolis and other such castes, which are economically and socially weaker than others, received one or two per cent benefits. I demand that a survey be conducted to ascertain how much benefit these extremely backward castes received during the last 20 years," the parliamentarian said.

"After the survey, those five to ten castes, which had received maximum benefits, should be given seven per cent reservation within the 27 per cent quota while the extremely backward castes, that were left behind and did not receive the desired benefits, should be given the remaining 20 per cent reservation," Thakor said in the letter.

She claimed if this segregation of OBC quota is not implemented, people belonging to the extremely backward castes will continue to be poor while those five to ten castes will continue to prosper more by getting maximum benefit of the reservation.

Many other states, such as Bihar, Odisha, Haryana and West Bengal, had implemented this system of splitting the OBC quota for bringing equality among all castes, Thakor said.