SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, June 6: OBC Morcha of Dhanbad district Congress committee today staged a ‘dharna’ at Randhir Verma Chowk near collectorate demanding a caste census in Jharkhand.
Leading the agitation, Dhanbad district Congress President Brajendra Prasad Singh said that OBC Morcha has called the dharna for a single demand of caste census. He said that many castes reside in the state but the census has not been conducted on this basis so far.
“So Congress party requests the central government to give an immediate directive to all states in this regard so that chief ministers and officers of concerned state could start the caste census,” said Brajendra Prasad Singh.
The Congress district president further said that the party also urges Prime Minister Narendra Modi to permit Jharkhand for conducting a caste census at par with Bihar. In this regard, a memorandum would be sent to the PM through Jharkhand’s chief minister. He further added that through this dharna, they want to draw the attention of the chief minister and governor of Jharkhand to the demand of the people.
“Caste census is the demand of the hour. Since Bihar has unanimously decided to conduct the caste census at the all-party meetings, the same decision should be also taken in Jharkhand,” he said.
Congress Dhanbad district OBC Morcha president Pritam Rawani said that when Bihar has decided to hold a caste census, there should be no hesitation in conducting the same in Jharkhand. “No one can deny that a caste census is the requirement of Jharkhand. The demand of increasing reservation on basis of population for the backward class has been rising for the last several years,” he said.
The OBC Morcha president said that the Jharkhand government too should take a step for caste census as Bihar has initiated and conducted it at the cost of the state.
Pritam Rawani further said that the dharna was staged on the directive of the state committee of the party in all 24 districts. A memorandum will be sent to the chief minister for sending it to the prime minister regarding the demand.
