Lucknow: In a significant move, members and office-bearers of the Nishad Party and its affiliated organizations are set to submit a detailed memorandum to the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, urging strict compliance with state notifications issued by the Department of Personnel, UP Government. The notifications in question — No. 4(1)/2002-ka-2 dated 31-12-2016 and No. 1/2017/4(1)/2002-ka-2 dated 12-01-2017 — pertain to the revised classification of certain communities from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category to the Scheduled Castes (SC) category.
The memorandum highlights that despite amendments to the Uttar Pradesh Public Service (Reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes) Act, 1994 (UP Act No. 4 of 1994), several communities including Nishad, Kevat, Mallah, Kashyap, Kahar, Dheemar, Bind, Batham, Turha, Godiya, Manjhi, and Machhua are still being issued OBC certificates at the district and tehsil levels. It was particularly noted that Tehsildars continue to violate the updated legal framework by issuing caste certificates under the OBC category, which the memorandum claims is unconstitutional and a direct breach of the Governor’s notifications.
As per the updated law, these communities have been removed from the OBC list and are to be recognized as Scheduled Castes. The memorandum references Schedule entries 53 and 66 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes Order, 1950) and subsequent modifications by the Governor and the President of India, which list Majhwar and Turaeha as Scheduled Castes, encompassing these sub-castes. The Governor, using powers granted under Section 13 of the UP Reservation Act, 1994, notified the reclassification on 31-12-2016, officially entitling these communities to SC benefits.
The memorandum further requests that instructions be issued to all District Magistrates and Sub-District Magistrates across Uttar Pradesh, directing them to ensure adherence to the above notifications, similar to the implementation seen in Sant Kabir Nagar district. It also demands the immediate cessation of OBC certificate issuance to individuals belonging to these communities and mandates issuance of SC certificates under Majhwar and Turaeha classifications only.
A massive mobilization effort is underway, with the Nishad Party, National Nishad Unity Council, Mahila Morcha, Youth Wing, IT Cell, The Great Nishad Yuva Vahini, and other allied organizations at national, state, district, assembly, block, sector, and booth levels set to participate. Attendance of all zonal, mandal, district, Lok Sabha, and Vidhan Sabha coordinators/presidents along with their teams has been deemed mandatory, and a large gathering is expected to accompany the memorandum submission under the leadership of respective district presidents.
This move is being seen as a major step toward ensuring rightful social justice and legal recognition for these communities under the Scheduled Castes framework, as per constitutional provisions and government directives.
