OBC groups stage satyagraha in Nagpur, demand separate column in census
Sakal OBC Mahamorcha warns of district rallies on October 25 and a "Chalo Delhi" agitation in November if the Centre does not act.
The Sakal OBC Mahamorcha held a satyagraha in Nagpur on Friday, demanding a caste-wise census with a separate column for OBCs in the upcoming census. The protest took place near the Mahatma Gandhi statue close to Variety Chowk in Sitabuldi. It began at 12 noon as part of a peaceful satyagraha being held across the state. The day was chosen to coincide with the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri.
The Mahamorcha said accurate OBC data from the coming census would help ensure that the benefits of educational reservation, representation in government jobs, welfare schemes and budget allocations reach the last person. Umesh Korram, chief coordinator of the Mahamorcha, said the October 2 satyagraha was the beginning of the next phase of the agitation.
According to Korram, Maharashtra officially has only 394 castes across Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs. Yet the 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census recorded as many as 4,28,000 castes, the Centre has stated in an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court. He asked why the same method was being used again in the coming census if the Centre considered the 2011 census flawed and erroneous. He also demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Census Commissioner Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan resign.
The protesters claimed that because of wrong entries in the 2011 census, caste-wise data across the country does not tally. They demanded a separate column for OBCs in the app for the upcoming digital census, along with a pre-coded drop-down menu based on the official Central and state lists.
The protesters warned that if the Centre does not take an urgent decision on a separate digital census of OBCs, Mahamorchas will be held in all districts of the state on October 25. If that too is ignored, they said, a "Chalo Delhi" agitation will be held in November.
OBC community members, farmers, women and youth from Nagpur and the rest of Vidarbha took part in large numbers. The protest site rang with slogans such as "Hamara haq maangte, nahin kisi se bheek maangte". Activists present included Adv. Banate, Suresh Gudhade, Anjali Salve, Ram Abhivilas Nakhate, Dnyaneshwar Rakshak, Sushma Bhad, Pratap Patle, Sadhana Borkar, Archana Barde, Nayana Zade, Vijeta Dhote, Baba Tumsare and Sameer Arbat.
