CHENNAI: The National Confederation of OBC Employees Associations held a demonstration on Saturday pressing for 15 demands, including the conduct of a nation-wide caste-based census. Representatives from the DMK, Congress and VCK also took part. The association said it would also organise a protest in Delhi during the upcoming Parliament session.
Other major demands included the filling vacancies in the National Commission for Backward Classes, recognising employee welfare associations in central government departments and public sector undertakings (PSUs) and conducting regional recruitment for central government and PSUs jobs.
While the confederation demanded increasing the income limit set for exclusion as ‘creamy layer’ from OBC reservation, political leaders who spoke at the event, including DMK MP Kanimozhi NVN Somu, MLA N Ezhilan, VCK MLA Aloor Shanavas, Congress leader Peter Alphonse and others stressed the need for the complete removal of the concept of creamy layer in OBC reservation. They also pointed out that while the 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) among upper castes was implemented swiftly without any protests, OBCs, SCs and STs had to continuously struggle hard for their demands.
“Whenever there is a case against reservation, the courts say there is no data to support it,” said Ezhilan, highlighting the need for a caste-based census.
Secretary General of the association K Danasekar said, “Caste-based census will provide accurate data on the social and economic status of the people. This data is essential for both supporters and opponents of reservation. We are still relying on the 1931 data, and many horizontal reservations have been struck down by courts for lack of proper data.”