Many East Indians have reservations about quota

MUMBAI: More than 400 years of historyrecently helped move a file in Mantralaya. The state government recently grantedOther Backward Caste (OBC) status to the East Indian community, who are nativesof the Mumbai and Vasai area whose ancestors had converted to Christianityapproximately 450 years ago.A handful of lobbyists from thecommunity had paved for young people a smoother path to jobs, for children aneasier entry to schools and colleges.But with the initial burst ofcelebration dying, it is becoming evident that the lobbying did not have theapproval of a sizable and influential section of the community. These EastIndians question whether the community, which has a high literacy rate, deservesto apply for such concessions."I do not know who has been agitatingfor it and whether it has been politically motivated," said journalist andenvironmental activist Darryl D''Monte. "The educational standard of East Indiansis much higher than other OBCs. Everybody is trying to have a share of thecake. There is no end to it." He added that he believes in "positivediscrimination for the truly deprived", and expressed the fear that OBC statuscould breed dependence in the community to such quota.The stategovernment''s ministry of social justice and cultural affairs on May 28 issued adirective stating that East Indian Catholics would be given OBC status if theysubmit population statistics and proof that they belonged to the Agri, Kunbi orBhandari tribes before Independence."For a certain section of thecommunity, especially those in the rural areas, it would be beneficial," saidFather Larry Pereira, the parish priest of Bandra''s Mt Carmel Church. "But Idon''t know what percentage lives in the villages." He added that reservationsshould not be based on caste but on "actual economic level".Thelast, fairly comprehensive study on East Indians was conducted in 1950 by ascholar named Elsie Baptista. After that, there have only been localised studieson the community in Bandra and Vile Parle. Among other trends that have changedcommunity dynamics, insiders say that many upper caste and upper class EastIndians from the city have migrated to Canada and New Zealand, but such mobilityhasn''t been witnessed among members of the lower castes or lowerclasses.In addition, many East Indians have lost their land to largeurban projects, such as the Sahar airport. "Perhaps an economic need has driventhem to be considered for the category," said Fleur D''Souza, the head of thehistory department at St Xavier''s College. "While I agree that some East Indianswould genuinely benefit from the OBC status, East Indians in Mumbai have hadaccess to education and other facilities and do not need thereservation."Mr D''Monte, who comes from an affluent East Indianfamily, views the issue as a divide between the English- and theMarathi-speaking members of the community. He attributes the demand for OBCstatus to the hardline minority that has emerged in almost every Indiancommunity, and warned of a backlash.Meanwhile, Fr Pereira added thatthe Shiv Sena''s ''Mee Mumbaikar'' campaign has prompted some East Indians to comeout and "prove they are the sons of the soil".