Yadavs to demand Ahir Regiment

After the Sikh Regiment, Rajput Regiment it is, perhaps, time for an Ahir regiment in the country.

The All India Yadav Mahasabha, on March 19, will hold a convention in Delhi to demand the raising of an Ahir regiment, solely for the Yadav community.

UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is likely to be the chief guest at the event that will also be attended by prominent Yadav politicians including Rajya Sabha MP Prof Ram Gopal Yadav, UP minister Shivpal Yadav, Bihar deputy chief minister Tejasvi Yadav and union ministers including Rao Indrajeet Singh, Bandaru Dattatreya, Ram Kripal Yadav and Hansraj Ahir.

According to Jagdish Yadav, president of the All India Yadav Mahasabha, “Our main demand setting up of an Ahir Regiment, solely for Yadavs. Jawans from the Yadav community have laid down their lives for their country and there should be an exclusive regiment for the Yadavs.”

He said their demand for an Ahir Regiment is not misplaced since there are already regiments for Sikhs, Rajputs and Dogras.

The chairman was not too enthused by the idea of an Ahir Regiment and said, “The Mahasabha is purely a social and non-political organisation and the demand for Ahir Regiment cannot be fulfilled as the Constitution does not allow any caste-based regiment. But there can be an ‘Ahirbara’ Regiment, signifying a place. During the convention, any state unit can present their demand and there is nothing wrong with that.”

He will also be demanding the caste Census should be made public so that actual data related to Yadavs can be known. He said the present Yadav population in the country is about 24 per cent.

He also said reservation for OBCs should not be disturbed but should actually be raised since the OBC population is increasing.

The Mahasabha is presently headed by Udai Pratap Singh, chairman of UP Hindi Sansthan, who has also been a teacher of SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav.