Karnataka: Muslims included in list of OBCs for reservation in employment, educational institutions

The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) on Wednesday confirmed citing the data from Karnataka government, all castes and communities of Muslims of Karnataka have been included in the list of other backward classes for granting reservation in employment and educational institutions under the state government.

As per the data, Karnataka has a Muslim population of 12.92 per cent. "Under category II-B, all Muslims of Karnataka state have been considered as OBC," the NCBC said. The commission said that in category-1, 17 Muslim communities have been considered as OBC whereas 19 Muslim communities have been considered as OBCs in category-2A. 

The 17 Muslim communities that have been considered as OBCs in category 1 are Nadaf, Pinjar, Darvesh, Chapparband, Kasab, Phulmali (Muslim), Nalaband, Kasai, Athari, Shikkaligara, Sikkaligar, Salaband, Ladaf, Thikanagar, Bajigara, Johari and Pinjari. 

The NCBC said that currently, even the backward and Dalit communities have started protesting against the social discrimination of lower-caste Muslims by their upper-class counterparts such as Syeds, Sheikhs and Pathans. 

Due to this discrimination, weaker and downtrodden Muslim communities like Kunjre (Raayan), Julahas (Ansari), Dhuniya (Mansuri), Kasaayi (Qureshi), Fakir (Alvi), Hajjam (Salmani), and Mehtar (Halalkhor) among others present themselves as a part of the Pasmanda community, the order mentioned. 

"The Muslims in India are not untouched by the social divisions in their community," the NCBC mentioned.