Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The Calcutta High Court has cancelled the OBC status of several communities in West Bengal. Since 2010, OBC certificates were distributed to 77 communities. The High Court cancelled them. Most of these were from the Muslim community. The High Court has clarified in its decision that if the members of the communities whose OBC status has been removed are already in service or have availed the benefit of reservation, then their services will not be affected by this decision.
Actually, this has become a big issue in this election environment, when only 2 days are left for the sixth phase of elections. In such a situation, it can have a direct impact on the Lok Sabha seats. Since, BJP has said that this is the politics of appeasement by the Mamata government. Mamata government had divided the OBC classes into two classes, OBC A and OBC B. In which OBC A means extremely backward. Whereas, OBC B means only backward.
Bengal government included most of the Muslim castes in the OBC list
At the same time, the communities which have been included in this list by Mamata government in the last 10 years, the most importance has been given to Muslims. However, she has also been accused of including Rohingya and people from Bangladesh in this list. In such a situation, questions are arising whether the court’s decision regarding the OBC list will affect Mamata Banerjee’s votes?
What is the history of OBC reservation in West Bengal?
In 2010, the Left Front government was in power in West Bengal. During that time, the Left Front had put 53 castes in the OBC category. During that time, the Left Front government wanted to increase the reservation for OBCs from 7 to 17 percent. However, when the Left government was out of power in 2011, this law could not be made. After this, Mamata Didi’s government came to power in Bengal in 2012. Which gives reservation to the OBC category.
Mamata government added 35 new castes in this reservation. In which OBC reservation for 33 Muslim communities was increased from 7% to 17%. However, after the formation of this law, 92% of the Muslim population of the state got the benefit of reservation.
What is the math of OBC reservation in Bengal?
The West Bengal government gives 17 percent reservation to the OBC category. Where it is divided into two parts. OBC A and OBC B. While, there are 81 castes in the OBC A category, out of which 56 are Muslims. On the other hand, there are 99 castes in the OBC B category, out of which 41 castes are Muslims. Now the court has said that the government has insulted Muslims by including 77 castes in the backward class. Out of 77 communities, 42 were given OBC status by the then Left Front government in 2010.
The court said, out of these, 41 were Muslims. According to the decision, the other 35 out of which 34 were Muslims were included in the OBC list by the Mamata government by issuing a notification on May 11, 2012.
HC struck down the 2012 law
Due to this law, OBC candidates started getting reservation in government jobs in West Bengal. Some of its provisions were challenged in the court. The court, while hearing the case, cancelled the provisions of that law of 2012. Now they are accused that the previous Commission Act 1993 is in force in West Bengal. TMC released the list in defiance of that. Which is completely illegal.
Know the caste equation of West Bengal?
Let us tell you that, in West Bengal, upper castes are 20 percent, whereas, OBCs are 24 percent and SCs are 20 percent and STs are 6 percent. Along with this, Muslims are in 27 percent, and other castes are 3 percent, out of which 85 percent of the 27% population of the Muslim community has been included in the OBC category.
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