Mishra panel rebukes govt for not deleting well-off castes from OBC list
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Agencies
New Delhi, Dec 19:
In what may raise eyebrows of OBC satraps, the Rangnath Mishra
Commission report has slammed the government's timidity to purge the
OBC list of castes which have ceased to be "backward", a decennial
exercise enshrined in the National Commission for Backward Classes
Act.
The failure to exclude castes from the OBC list has led to a sharp
increase in number of OBCs — provocation for Mishra panel to slam
"political considerations" and "vested interests in remaining
backward" for distortion of the system.
The purging of OBC list is a sensitive issue which saw the government
plump for status quo when Mandal Commission completed 10 years in 2003
and the first exclusion exercise was to be taken up. Citing inclusion
of Jats and Vokkaligas in OBC list as examples of "political
compulsions", the report said "non-exclusion of ineligible" castes has
hurt genuine backward groups.
If the report's comments threaten to touch a faultline in backward
politics, its recommendation for 8% subquota for minorities within 27%
OBC quota is a testing proposition too. The panel has suggested the
measure for increasing representation of minorities in government
jobs.
While minorities form part of the OBC list, it is argued that they are
unable to compete with `general' OBCs, who are better equipped
educationally to take advantage of quota. Of the 8% subquota, 6% is to
be earmarked for Muslims in keeping with their share in minority
population.
An 8% subquota would shrink the playground for `general OBCs' to 19%,
which may not be liked by existing beneficiaries. However, a strong
reason why the subquota may still be accepted by OBC champions of
"secular" hue is the fear that their opposition may send a wrong
message among minorities.
Minority affairs minister Salman Khursheed said he was working on the
quota-within-quota proposal as is followed in Kerala, Karnataka and
Andhra Pradesh.
The move, however, is set to come under attack from BJP which has
decided tomobilise opinion against Mishra panel, especially its
recommendation that SC status be extended to dalit converts among
minorities like Christians and Muslims. The recommendation, to be
achieved through a constitutional amendment, is opposed by the RSS-BJP
combine which feels that extending dalit status to religious converts
would encourage conversions. The National Commission for SCs has also
opposed the move.
The intricate issue is likely to test the Centre which feels the
demand from strong sections of Muslims and Christians is politically
sensitive. The Mishrareport was tabled in Parliament.
The commission recommended that owing to their poor socio-economic
condition. minorities be given 15% quota in central and state jobs.
However, it added that in case of difficulty in implementing the
suggestion, the government should move for quota-within-OBC quota
route.
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