Himachal Pradesh : Gangharva community outraged over removal of caste name from OBC list, CM assured to solve this problem

The Gangharva community of the state is very upset over the removal of the caste name from the OBC list. About which a delegation of Gandharva Kalyan Parishad, HP, under the leadership of President Vidyanand Saraik also met Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and informed about the removal of Turi, Hasi and Dhaki castes from OBC. The Press Secretary of the Council, Ramesh Saraik said that the CM listened carefully to this serious problem of his and assured to consider it sympathetically. Ramesh Saraik told that a great injustice has been done to him. They say that the Gandharvas i.e. Turi, Hasi and Dhaki castes come in the most minority category in the state. The most important thing is that they have been following the deity culture and deity traditions for centuries. Told that there are many such families of this caste who are still earning their livelihood by cultivating the land of the gods.
Ramesh Saraik said that the names of Turi, Haisi and Dhaki castes were included in the list released by the Government of India in 1993. The list of which has also been given to the CM. Panchayat elections were also contested in the year 2000 and 2005 by many people of this caste category on the basis of OBC. Till the year 2014, this caste was mentioned in the OBC list but suddenly these castes were removed from the OBC list which is a great injustice to these castes. Please tell that the condition of these castes has become such that they are neither considered in gold nor in the Scheduled Caste category. Ramesh Saraik says that the Gandharva community is playing an important role in the promotion and preservation of the state’s culture and has preserved the folk songs, traditional musical instruments and deity traditions sung in the state since time immemorial. They say that on the basis of which report the name of the Gandharva community has been deducted from the list of OBCs, it should be investigated. He told that there was no communication of any kind with this caste category about being removed from the OBC list. Ramesh Saraik says that if no step is taken by the state government on this serious issue, then they will be forced to approach the court.

The delegation included Vice President Bhushan, Hetram Gandharva, Ramdayal Saini, General Secretary Beliram, Atar Singh, Treasurer Anil Kumar, Ramesh Gandharva and other members of the Gandharva Welfare Council.