Question

Analyse the impact of the political rise of Other Backward Classes in India.

Answer 1

1. In the 1990s, multiple of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) stopped supporting the Congress. This gave the Non-Congress parties room to gain support from these groups.
2. These parties initially found political expression at the national level under the Janata Party government, which had a strong rural OBC base.
3. The National Front’s choice to follow the Mandal recommendations had an even bigger impact on OBC politics. The heated national debate made the OBCs more aware of their identities.
4. In the 1980s, Dalit political groups also began to grow. For instance, the Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF).
5. Mr. Kanshi Ram led the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The Dalit voters in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh backed this minor party.
6. But in the 1990s, it made significant progress in Uttar Pradesh. Politics among Dalits and OBCs has developed separately and often competes with each other.