ADILABAD: “When a census of forest animals is conducted on a regular basis for their conservation and better management, why not a caste-wise census for the OBCs in the country,”, senior Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao asked in a conversation with Deccan Chronicle, in which he replied to questions on a wide array of topical issues.
Hanumantha Rao, popularly known VHR, a former PCC chief and former Rajya Sabha member, discussed the upcoming polls in Telangana, the Congress’ plans for the state and the rule of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi since statehood was given.
Edited excerpts:
Q. What is your party's stand on caste-wise census?
It is the Congress that initiated many welfare and developmental programmes for the empowerment of OBCs and done social justice on various fronts in the country. Recently, during the Karnataka elections, party former president Rahul Gandhi supported the caste-wise census for OBCs and added that there are no Constitutional safeguards for reservations for OBCs in the Assembly and Lok Sabha, unlike SC and STs, and that is why OBCs’ problems are different from others.
The caste-wise census will enable governments to get a clear picture of demography and their social, economic, and political information… it will help the policymakers to come out with specific measures for the welfare and development of the communities. The caste census will help OBCs to get their dues on various fronts. Rahul Gandhi supported the concept of ‘Jitni Abadi… Utna Haq’.
Q. How is the response to the youth BCs Sadhikarikatha tour, given that the Congress is soon to issue the BC Declaration?
The response has been good from BCs and other communities, as they are welcoming and joining the meetings. This will also attract the BC vote bank for the elections and bring the party to power in the state while exposing the failures of the BJP and BRS and how these two parties cheated marginalised communities.
It was the Congress, led by Sonia Gandhi, who initiated passing a Bill to give 27 per cent reservation to OBCs in IITs and IIMs. But there is a poor implementation of reservations for OBCs and data shows that OBCs are not even getting 10 per cent reservations against the 27 per cent they are entitled for.
A BC Garjana Sabha will be organised in Hyderabad in the last week of this month or the first week of next month, where the BC Declaration will be announced. There are plans to invite AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Chief Minister, who comes from an OBC.
The prime demands of the BC Declaration, besides new welfare schemes, will include the removal of the creamy layer (₹8 lakhs as income limit per annum for parents as eligibility for availing of reservation) restriction for the OBCs in the education and conducting a caste-wise census and creating a special ministry for the OBC in the Central government Cabinet to do social justice.
OBCs are losing opportunities in jobs and education with the imposition of the creamy layer and thus, reserved OBC seats are being clubbed into the general category.
Q. What about the status of the BCs in Telangana?
There is a 54 per cent BC population in Telangana, not getting their due share in politics, jobs, and education. BCs were neglected on the welfare and development front in the past nine years of rule of BRS, under the leadership of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. Many BC communities are yet to enter the legislative bodies in Telangana. Congress will give a due share in terms of MLA and MP tickets to OBCs in the next elections in the state.
They are demanding the Congress high command to give at least three tickets for BCs in the erstwhile districts or Parliament constituencies where general MLA seats are more and two tickets for BCs where general seats are fewer. Few BC communities are having considerable populations but are not getting political opportunities, like Padmashali and Yadavs.
Q. What do you say about BJP talking much about BCs leadership in the state?
BJP is not sincere about the welfare and development of the BCs and BJP started wooing the BCs after realising their strength in terms of vote bank and even talked about making a BC candidate their CM face, eyeing the BCs' vote bank, just like how Chandrashekar Rao had promised to make a Dalit as Telangana CM. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who claims to come from an OBC, did nothing for the welfare and development of OBCs in the country.
Q. How do you assess the BRS rule?
KCR failed to fulfil all promises made to the people, including three-acre plots for Dalits, jobs for every household, making a Dalit the CM and implementing 2BHK houses.
Many OBCs and Dalits have lost their valuable lands due to Dharani and even lands that were assigned to Dalits by the Congress governments were taken over by landlords, who took advantage of pitfalls in Dharani at Keesara. Rahul Gandhi exposed this issue at the Khammam public meeting.
