Backward Classes Centre for Empowerment (BCCE) organised a seminar on Social Reforms, Governance and OBCs in India at Ambedkar International Centre, in New Delhi.
Chief Guest of the event, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupendra Yadav, K Laxman, National President, OBC Morcha, BJP, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Virender Godre, Director (BCCE), spoke about how since 2014, there has been a significant shift towards empowering OBCs afresh.
The leaders ponder upon on how today, their voices are heard and their rights are fully recognised in governance and policy-making.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr. Bhupendra Yadav said, “Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji gave employment and reservation to the OBC community to move ahead.
He said, “We do not want to discriminate among castes and fight against castes. We want to contribute fully in the discussion of moving ahead. He told the students that you should forget the things of the past decades and think about 2047. We are about to enter a time where the digital revolution is going to happen… You are about to enter a world which will now work in conjunction with digital and artificial intelligence”
The Minister said, “The Congress government discriminated against the OBC community. The Congress party had withheld the rights and the kind of environment that should have been given to the OBC community for 70 years have also been denied.
Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, former Rajya Sabha member, while talking about justice for the neglected sections, said, ” Every Indian should have the feeling of village in his mind after stepping out of the house, feeling of district after stepping out of the village and when one rises above the district, he should keep the feeling of humanity paramount in his mind and “It is the responsibility of all of us to think about all those elements of the society, who have been neglected in the society, who should get justice but it has been denied from time to time. There should be a feeling of justice towards the neglected sections.” He said, “Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee did justice by removing welfare from social welfare so that people of every section of the society can be inspired by the idea of social justice”.
Dr K Laxman, president of BJP OBC Morcha, said, “Congress is doing politics of appeasement in the name of OBCs. They have been in power for the last 70 years, yet they have done nothing, apart from not properly implementing the Mandal Commission recommendations. The first step taken by the Modi administration after coming to power in 2014 was to give constitutional status to the OBC Commission in 2018. According to him, after this, OBC students are admitted in Kendriya Vidyalayas and given employment opportunities in various government organisations.”
Virender God Director (BCCE) said that historically, OBCs have faced socio-economic discrimination and exclusion during British rule. “After Independence, lack of political will, slow implementation of inclusive policies and neglect of socio-economic challenges faced by OBCs led to a missed opportunity which hindered their full integration into the mainstream Indian society. The introduction of reservations in the 1990s proved to be a turning point, but full empowerment is still a work in progress” he added.
The seminar made a renewed call for unity within the community to strengthen their political and social influence and ensure that their voices are heard and their rights are fully recognised in governance and policy-making. Now, more than ever, it is important to talk about how governance can bring about real social reform for OBCs. The seminar aims to discuss the journey of OBCs from marginalisation to greater participation in mainstream politics, governance and society.
