Caste census: Congress gives Chalo Delhi call on Nov 1 for separate OBC column

Nagpur: Intensifying the demand for a separate column for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the upcoming nationwide caste-based census, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Saturday announced a large-scale agitational campaign culminating in a ‘Chalo Delhi’ march on November 1.

The strategy was finalised during a key Vidarbha-level meeting of OBC leaders, office-bearers, and prominent activists held in Nagpur to address long-standing grievances facing the community.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Wadettiwar, a Congress Legislature Party leader in the Maharashtra Assembly, said a separate column for OBCs in the caste census is indispensable.

He said, “Our demand is explicit: there must be a caste-wise census with a dedicated column for OBCs. The government’s current decisions regarding the census process have sparked widespread discontent within the OBC community. If the true population of OBCs is not accurately documented, issues surrounding their political representation and reservation benefits will become increasingly severe.”

Following a preliminary meeting of nearly 65 OBC organisations from across the country held in Delhi on September 13, a phased nationwide agitation roadmap has been unveiled. Wadettiwar said that on October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti and Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti), taluka-level Satyagraha (peaceful protests) will be organised; on October 25, district-level protest marches across the state; and on November 1, the ‘Chalo Delhi’ rally to push the central government to action. The exact framework of the Delhi demonstration will be finalised in consultation with allied organisations across the country.

Beyond the census, Wadettiwar raised concerns regarding student welfare and state support for marginalised communities. He accused the Maharashtra state government of stalling tactics in allocating funds to autonomous institutes like Mahajyoti and BARTI.

He urged the administration to release funding proportional to the population and ensure timely disbursement of pre-matric and post-matric scholarships.

Addressing the sensitive ongoing debate over Maratha reservation in Maharashtra, Wadettiwar reaffirmed that the OBC community opposes any dilution of its existing quota.

“The government should not slice away rights from one community to satisfy another. If the government wants to grant reservation to any group, it should do so independently. Do not allocate any portion of the OBC quota to others. If our constitutional rights are encroached upon, we will not sit quietly,” he cautioned.

IANS