In Rajasthan, Gujjars back on OBC list

The BJP governement in Rajasthan has re-included the Gujjars and four other communities in the OBC category.

BANJARA/BALDIA/ LABANA, GADIALOHAR/ GADALIA, GUJJAR/ GURJAR, RAIKA/REBARI AND GADARIA COMMUNITIES WERE PUT IN OBC LIST AGAIN

JAIPUR: The BJP government in Rajasthan has re-included the Gujjars and four other communities in the Other Backward Caste (OBC) category granting them benefits of reservation, a move that comes ahead of the state elections in 2018.

The state social justice and empowerment department has issued notice declaring that Banjara/Baldia/Labana, Gadia-Lohar/Gadalia, Gujjar/Gurjar, Raika/Rebari and Gadaria (Gaadri) communities have again been re-included in the OBC list. These communities were initially included in the OBC list in 1994.

The Rajasthan High Court had earlier struck down the Special Backward Class (SBC) Reservation Act, 2015 under which these communities were given reservation.

Giving details, state social justice, and empowerment minister Arun Chaturvedi said the government’s aim was to protect the jobs that the members of these five communities hold. “The government wants these communities to avail the OBC benefits until the new Special Backward Class (SBC) law is enacted,” Chaturvedi said.

The Opposition Congress questioned the sincerity of the BJP government in fulfilling the promise they had made to the five communities. Archana Sharma, state vice president of Congress said that this was the second tenure of the BJP when its poll manifesto promised SBC category to Gujjars. “But since the government lacks sincerity to do it, their ill conceived decision could not stand legal scrutiny and the Gujjars are back to square one,” said Sharma.

Earlier, an SBC law granted 5 per cent quota in government jobs and educational institutions to four communities listed under the SBC category. However, it ran into legal issues and the Rajasthan High Court put a stay on the reservation in 2009 stating that it exceeded the ceiling of 50 per cent.

In September 2015, the state assembly passed another Rajasthan Special Backward Classes Bill granting 5 per cent reservation to the five castes after which the overall reservation in the state reached 54%. The High Court scrapped the Act in 2016 stating that there were no extraordinary circumstances to allow the state’s overall reservation in government jobs and education institutes to go beyond the 50 per cent cap set by the Supreme Court.