National OBC seminar demands legislative reservations and separate Union ministry
Hyderabad: A national-level seminar organised by the BC Reservations Achievement Coordination Joint Action Committee renewed demands for OBC legislative reservations and the creation of a separate Union Ministry for OBC affairs.
Addressing the gathering, National BC Dal president and JAC chairman Dundra Kumaraswamy said the movement would continue until Parliament enacted a law ensuring OBC legislative reservations. He argued that although OBCs form a majority of the population, they remain underrepresented in law-making bodies.
The seminar brought together OBC leaders, academics and activists from several States. Speakers said the absence of statutory reservations in legislatures denied OBC communities an effective voice in political decision-making.
Participants also discussed social and educational challenges faced by OBCs. Moreover, they criticised what they described as the Union government’s reluctance to address long-pending demands related to representation and welfare.
Former Additional Collector Rajesham, senior physician Dr. Ramadevi, Telangana CPI State secretary Venkataswamy, National BC Dal Greater Hyderabad president Rajesh Yadav, Venkataramana and several others attended the seminar.
OBC legislative reservations push gains momentum nationwide
Kumaraswamy stressed the need for an exclusive Union Ministry for OBCs. He said such a ministry would serve as a dedicated institutional mechanism to address policy formulation, welfare delivery and representation issues.
He urged the Union government to introduce a Bill providing for OBC legislative reservations and include it in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. According to him, this step would protect the law from judicial scrutiny and ensure its long-term implementation.
Warning of intensified action, Kumaraswamy said failure to meet these demands would trigger nationwide mobilisation involving OBC organisations across the country. He added that growing political mobilisation reflected increasing awareness among OBC communities about constitutional rights and social justice.
Speakers noted that even 76 years after Independence, OBC-specific institutional representation at the Union level remained absent. Therefore, they cautioned that political parties ignoring OBC concerns risked losing public relevance.
The seminar concluded with a resolution to strengthen coordination among OBC organisations nationwide. Participants agreed to sustain collective efforts until legislative representation and broader social justice objectives were achieved.
