When I first heard the term other backward class, I thought it was a joke.
Then when I read about the creamy layer principle, I was sure it was a joke. But I'm getting ahead of myself here.
On previous visits to India, I'd heard the term 'scheduled tribe' used to describe the many tribes / groups of Nagaland. I simply assumed it meant 'officially recognised tribe' (and I wasn't far off the mark with that). But the other day a friend here in Diphu was talking about how he was interviewing candidates for a job, but the job was only available to people from one of the 'other backward classes'. Then a few days later, he was talking about the upcoming local election (which has been postponed till next June) that he's working for and how 'other backward class' is an option on the form for people to state their caste. He was also saying how it was ironic that the former rulers of Assam, the Ahoms, are now considered an 'other backward class'.
After a bit of googling, I discovered that the term backward class is indeed a term used in India, along with scheduled tribe and scheduled caste, to contrast with the term forward class / forward caste. The list for each group is dynamic and calculated based on economic and social factors. However, I'm not 100% sure what factors these are, how they are measured, or even how a group is defined as being a group. The use of these groupings is supposed to be important towards 'positive discrimination' in India, whereby certain jobs and places in education are reserved for people from the 'non-forward classes' (even if these positions are usually not filled for other reasons).
Now I'm all for positive discrimination this way if it is necessary to make up for inequalities in a society (even if people in the majority don't perceive these inequalities and protest against such positive discrimination). But 'backward'? I'm used to Indian English being peppered with colonial era terms and beliefs that now in the West would be considered racist and bigoted, but to designate a group / groups as 'backward'? One might argue that it is simply another term for what others might call 'disadvantaged', but I'm sure even in modern Indian English the term 'backward' carries much more negative connotations of intellectual or physical retardation. I've also heard people in Nepal and India talk about their caste / tribal group as being 'backward' with no hope of moving up in the social hierarchy. If what they're supposed to do is simply follow the 'forward classes', then it's going to be a never-ending game of 'catch-up'.
I suppose I'm more used to the term 'minority' or 'ethnic minority' (even for groups with considerably large memberships). But even in China, the term 少数民族 is used, referring to the 'small number' of members in a particular ethnic group. Over there, certain groups may work towards recognition as an ethnic minority in order to enjoy benefits, such as exemptions from the One Child policy. In India, I'm not quite sure I'd appreciate labeling myself as a member of an 'other backward class' to get a particular job as part of the reservation scheme, but more enlightened members of such 'classes' may be able to work the system.
But hang on, there's also a catch: the reservation scheme doesn't apply to you if you're a member of an 'other backward class' who's from a well-off or educated family. In that case, you're part of the creamy layer (not quite what you thought I was talking about, right?), and according to the 'creamy layer' principle, you "do not require the protection of reservation" (read an article from The Hindu here). However, it has been argued that this 'creamy layer' concept goes against the Indian Constitution.
I'm not quite sure if and how this 'creamy layer' principle is applied, but it's one of the things about India that as a foreigner, I can't help but find somewhat absurd.
Then when I read about the creamy layer principle, I was sure it was a joke. But I'm getting ahead of myself here.
On previous visits to India, I'd heard the term 'scheduled tribe' used to describe the many tribes / groups of Nagaland. I simply assumed it meant 'officially recognised tribe' (and I wasn't far off the mark with that). But the other day a friend here in Diphu was talking about how he was interviewing candidates for a job, but the job was only available to people from one of the 'other backward classes'. Then a few days later, he was talking about the upcoming local election (which has been postponed till next June) that he's working for and how 'other backward class' is an option on the form for people to state their caste. He was also saying how it was ironic that the former rulers of Assam, the Ahoms, are now considered an 'other backward class'.
After a bit of googling, I discovered that the term backward class is indeed a term used in India, along with scheduled tribe and scheduled caste, to contrast with the term forward class / forward caste. The list for each group is dynamic and calculated based on economic and social factors. However, I'm not 100% sure what factors these are, how they are measured, or even how a group is defined as being a group. The use of these groupings is supposed to be important towards 'positive discrimination' in India, whereby certain jobs and places in education are reserved for people from the 'non-forward classes' (even if these positions are usually not filled for other reasons).
Now I'm all for positive discrimination this way if it is necessary to make up for inequalities in a society (even if people in the majority don't perceive these inequalities and protest against such positive discrimination). But 'backward'? I'm used to Indian English being peppered with colonial era terms and beliefs that now in the West would be considered racist and bigoted, but to designate a group / groups as 'backward'? One might argue that it is simply another term for what others might call 'disadvantaged', but I'm sure even in modern Indian English the term 'backward' carries much more negative connotations of intellectual or physical retardation. I've also heard people in Nepal and India talk about their caste / tribal group as being 'backward' with no hope of moving up in the social hierarchy. If what they're supposed to do is simply follow the 'forward classes', then it's going to be a never-ending game of 'catch-up'.
I suppose I'm more used to the term 'minority' or 'ethnic minority' (even for groups with considerably large memberships). But even in China, the term 少数民族 is used, referring to the 'small number' of members in a particular ethnic group. Over there, certain groups may work towards recognition as an ethnic minority in order to enjoy benefits, such as exemptions from the One Child policy. In India, I'm not quite sure I'd appreciate labeling myself as a member of an 'other backward class' to get a particular job as part of the reservation scheme, but more enlightened members of such 'classes' may be able to work the system.
But hang on, there's also a catch: the reservation scheme doesn't apply to you if you're a member of an 'other backward class' who's from a well-off or educated family. In that case, you're part of the creamy layer (not quite what you thought I was talking about, right?), and according to the 'creamy layer' principle, you "do not require the protection of reservation" (read an article from The Hindu here). However, it has been argued that this 'creamy layer' concept goes against the Indian Constitution.
I'm not quite sure if and how this 'creamy layer' principle is applied, but it's one of the things about India that as a foreigner, I can't help but find somewhat absurd.