Majoktha Ahirs Demand OBC Recognition, Warn of Religious Conversion March in Rajkot

Rajkot: The Majoktha Ahir community has intensified its demand for recognition under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) category, alleging that discrepancies in government caste records have deprived its members of OBC certificates and affected their access to government jobs.

The community has submitted representations to the Rajkot District Collector and Police Commissioner, seeking a resolution within 30 days. It has warned that if the government fails to address the issue, members will organise a Dharma Parivartan Kooch (religious conversion march) in Rajkot on December 28.

Caste record discrepancies at the centre of dispute

According to the community’s representation, its ancestors faced persecution around 450 years ago after refusing to convert from Hinduism under pressure from a Mughal ruler. They were allegedly imprisoned and forced to take up barbering, leading to their identification in government records as ‘Ahir Hajam’ or ‘Ahir Vanand’.

The representation states that a community convention held in Junagadh in 1990 passed a resolution to record the caste simply as ‘Ahir’ in official documents.

This has led to discrepancies between older records, in which parents are identified as ‘Ahir Hajam’ or ‘Ahir Vanand’, and those of their children, who are recorded as ‘Ahir’. The community says the mismatch has created difficulties for younger members seeking SEBC/OBC certificates.

Community cites loss of government jobs

The community has also raised concerns over cases in which candidates who cleared competitive examinations and secured government jobs allegedly lost their employment because they could not produce OBC certificates. These reportedly include staff nurses at Civil Hospital and Class-3 clerks in the Municipal Corporation.

According to the representation, the Gujarat Commission for Backward Classes examined historical evidence, traditional community records, including Barot registers, and other documents before concluding that the ‘Ahir Hajam’ subgroup belongs to the Ahir community by origin.

The community maintains that the commission recommended including ‘Majoktha Ahir’ as a synonym in the existing list of eligible communities. However, it alleges that the government has yet to take an appropriate decision despite the recommendation and a hearing before the Human Rights Commission.

December 28 march announced

Expressing dissatisfaction over the lack of a resolution, the community has set a 30-day deadline for the government to issue an order addressing the discrepancy.

If its demand remains unmet, the proposed march will begin at 10 am on December 28 from Jubilee Garden and proceed towards the Rajkot Collector’s Office. Participants are expected to carry religious conversion application forms as part of the protest.

The community has also submitted representations to the Gujarat Chief Minister and the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, urging the state government to intervene and resolve the issue. DeshGujarat