SAMBALPUR: Alleging exclusion of other backward classes (OBCs) from the ongoing caste-based census exercise, the State OBC Forum has announced a protest in Bhubaneswar on April 22.
The forum plans to submit a memorandum to the President through the Governor, seeking inclusion of OBCs in Column 13 of the census questionnaire.
Addressing mediapersons here on Friday, forum president Shankar Patra said despite the significance of caste-based data in policymaking, the failure to include OBCs undermines the very objective of the census. He termed the omission unfortunate, especially when caste enumeration is being conducted after a gap of 94 years.
The forum said OBCs constitute over 75 crore of India’s population and about 52 per cent in Odisha. Ignoring such a large section, it said, renders the vision of a developed India unrealistic.
Citing recommendations of Kaka Kalelkar, Mandal and Rohini commissions, as well as observations by the Supreme Court on the need for caste data for reservation, the forum stressed that excluding OBCs contradicts established policy directions.