Commission members at the public hearing in Ranchi on Friday. Picture by Manik Bose

Ranchi, July 24: A public hearing conducted by the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCOBC) turned into a scene of chaos as members of different caste groups vied with each other to secure a place on the Other Backward Classes (OBC) list.

The NCOBC team had come to the state for the first time to hear the views of caste groups that want to be included in the OBC category. Apart from chairman Justice (retd) S.R. Pandian, other members of the commission, Subha Somu and Ram Awdhesh Singh, and member-secretary Chitra Chopra, were present at the hearing.

Over 15 communities presented their arguments before the panel. All groups tried to paint a grim picture of their social and economic status while the rivals went out of their way to contest the claims.

Representatives of Teli-Malik, a Muslim group, claimed that their social, economic and educational condition was miserable and hence, they should be recognised as OBC. “Our social, economic and educational standing in the state is very poor. In other states such as Bihar, we have been given the status of OBC,” said Md. Shamshad Malik, a representative of the Teli-Malik community.

The claims were opposed by the Ansari community, which argued that the Maliks in Jharkhand were not teli (oil makers) as they were saying. “The Maliks were awarded jagir during the British rule. They are not a weak community as they are projecting themselves to be,” said Rijwan Ansari, a member of Ansari community, which already has the OBC tag. He even threatened that if the Maliks were granted OBC status, the Ansaris would rebel.

The bickering continued for well over half an hour, thus crippling the process of hearing by the commission members. Apart from Malik, the other communities that staked a claim to the OBC status were Teli, Bhat, Soy, Chhipi, Bagchi, Sheikh-Julaha-Ansari, Let, Kunnai, Puspanamit, Jhora, Jadupatia, Partha, Sutradhar, Ghashi-Meher-Sadgop, Bairagi, Paika, Lakshmi Narayan Gola, Maira (Moira) and Madak.

“Communities that are really backward socially, economically and educationally will be considered for the OBC category,” Justice Pandian said after the end of the hearing.

“The commission will now sit and analyse the claims of the caste groups. It will then prepare a report and submit it to the department of social empowerment of government of India,” said commission member Singh.

He added the recommendations of the commission were binding on the government.