The All India Minority Organisation (AIMO) has strongly objected to the West Bengal government’s recent decision to shift the Sher Shahabadi community from the OBC-A to OBC-B category in its updated reservation list.
Terming the move as based on a “flawed survey,” AIMO chairman Prof. Nasir Ahmed said the organisation has already written to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, seeking immediate reconsideration.
“Our central committee has resolved to approach the Backward Classes Commission to understand the criteria used for this reclassification. We are preparing a detailed representation outlining why the Sher Shahabadi community rightfully belongs in the OBC-A category,” Prof Ahmed said. “Instead of mere protest, we will follow due procedure, file the required forms, and present our case through official hearings with logic and data.”
He recalled that the backward status of both Sher Shahabadi and Nasya Sheikh communities—based on indicators such as literacy rates, economic hardship, and human development indices—had been established through court hearings and expert testimony. Eminent figures like Adv. Abdus Samad, educationist Bazle Rahman, Prof Abdul Wahab, and Prof. Ahmed himself had played key roles in securing OBC-A recognition. Prof. Ahmed was also the first Sher Shahabadi to be officially certified under the OBC-A category.
“It is incomprehensible that Nasya Sheikh remains in OBC-A while Sher Shahabadi, with similar socio-economic conditions, has been moved to OBC-B. This disparity is unjustified,” he said in a press statement.
Prof Ahmed added that court intervention is not being considered at this stage. “Litigation should be the last resort. Our immediate focus is on constructive dialogue and institutional review. We are also reaching out to the chief secretary, minister Firhad Hakim, and senior officials in the minority affairs department.”
To consolidate the community’s voice, AIMO is forming a Sher Shahabadi Development Council within a week. “This body will work to highlight the community’s cultural identity, educational needs, and socio-economic challenges, supported by research, legal opinion, and grassroots documentation,” Prof. Ahmed noted.
Earlier, on 19 January, AIMO had mobilised a massive rally across West Bengal and Jharkhand to raise awareness about the Sher Shahabadi community’s development demands.