When the entire nation is preparing to welcome Ram, people were hoisting saffron flag, raising slogans of Jai Shree Ram, distributing sweets, celebrating diwali, In this environment AIOBCSA decided to conduct National Seminar on Caste Census which was organised in hybrid mode on 19-20 January. All India OBC Student Association is a student organisation which Works for the development of OBC students, ad raise important issues like caste discrimination in educational institutions, jobs, reservation, unequal distribution of resources, caste census.
In this seminar, the organisation had invited politicians, social activists, academicians, student leaders to discuss on need of caste census, the highlight of event was Sam Pitroda, who is known as telecom man and was advisor of Rajeev Gandhi and Manmohan Singh government, Pitroda focused on need of technology among obc masses and also emphasised that fir development of backwards we need policies and for that we need caste census. The second most influential speaker was Yogendra Yadav, according to him caste census is not just head counts, it is not a way to know the ‘backwardness of backwards’ it is also a method to know ‘privileges of privileged’. In this seminar academicians also took part Buffalo Intellectual was one of them who had highlighted that the country needs overseas fellowship for OBC students because they are only few among OBCs who are studying abroad because government of India had not launched any fellowship scheme for OBC students. The other influential speaker was Ajay Gudawardy, who had emphasised on that apart from financial benefit provided to backwards by government, the government should focus on their empowerment so that they do not need any financial help. Another speaker was Nethrapal who is a civil servant had given his presentation on caste census had highlighted that whatever reservation backwards are provided are based on census data of 1872-1941, now we need updated data to better implementation of reservation. Female speaker like Kanchana, Priyanka, Trina graced the occasion who had highlighted about how much caste census is need for backward women, Priyanka who is a RJD spokesperson had emphasized that OBC women are not given equal opportunities, if they will be provided opportunities we will have more examples like Bhagwatiya Devi, Rabri Devi. The most important message has been given by Prof. N. Sukumar who said that debate and discussions are important for Bahujans but we have to act also because we are footsoldiers of social justice. In the last P. Wilson (Rajyasabha, MP) graced the occasion and told his journey for the implementation of OBC reservation in the NEET, Wilson also listened few problems raised by OBC students like caste discrimination in campuses, lack of basic amenities in universities and asked students to write to him and he will take issues further.
When there is constant effort to make a democratic country to a theocratic country, in this scenario AIOBCSA is not forgetting its aim and it continues to empower OBC students that our main aim should be to focus on social justice, OBC students cannot afford to become footsoldiers of a religious propaganda, they must focus on their empowerment.
ऋतु,नेशनल कॉर्डिनेटर, AIOBCSA
