Demands not met, OBC samiti to hold convention in Shahpur on Nov 9

After a massive turnout at the September 20 rally from Kangra to Dharamsala, the OBC Sangharsh Samiti is preparing for another major show of strength. The community will hold a convention at the Chhinj Mela Ground, Rajol, in Shahpur on November 9. State president of the OBC Sangharsh Samiti Saurabh Kaundal said that the aim of the convention was to push for the community’s long-pending demands and challenge the alleged ongoing political silence over them.

Kaundal accused both Congress and BJP of maintaining a “studied silence” on the 20-point charter of demands of the OBCs though several leaders had won elections with their support. “Neither of the two parties has clarified its stance. The public will teach such leaders a lesson in the elections,” he warned.

Among the samiti’s major demands are the implementation of the OBC reservation in all educational institutions as mandated by the 93rd Constitutional Amendment (2005), construction of hostels for OBC students in universities and the full enforcement of the Right to Education Act in Himachal Pradesh. The organisation is also seeking 27 per cent reservation in all government services in accordance with the Mandal Commission and the Supreme Court directives, along with the immediate filling of the OBC backlog posts.

Kaundal pointed to the HPPSC Civil Judge recruitment, where two of the four OBC seats were left vacant under the “Not Found Suitable” (NFS) category. “This injustice must end,” he said, calling for legal action against officials responsible for denying representation to the OBCs.