Centre to establish National Commission for OBCs

In what could be termed as a strategical move, the centre government has proposed to establish the National Commission for OBCs with constitutional status. The new commission will be similar to the National Commission for SC and ST. It will enjoy similar power exercised by the SC and ST panel. The National Commission for Backward Classes is ineffective and its power is limited. The NCBC recommends the inclusion and exclusion of communities in the centre OBC list, while it has no power to hear the grievances of the OBC communities.

The new commission will have the power to hear the grievances of the sector. By grading such a status, the centre government led by the BJP has fulfilled the longstanding demand of OBC communities, on which the former government led by the Congress party had been sitting for years. Interestingly, the date selected by the government to put forth the plan has coincided with the birth anniversary of Ram Manohar Lohia, a respected freedom fighter belonging to the OBC community. Meanwhile, under the new proposal, only the parliament can decide on the inclusion and exclusion of communities in the centre OBC list. Many see this as a strategical move aimed at amassing the OBC vote banks in favour of the saffron section. Anyway, the several OBC lawmakers have expressed their support to the new historical initiative.   At this crucial juncture, it is necessary that the opposition parties which rely mostly on the OBC vote banks must come forward with a feasible game plan. Or else, the BJP will again bag the trophy effortlessly. However, if the commission is implemented, the prime matter it needs to deal with will be the Jat reservation demand.

vignesh

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