Jalna, March 22 -- Shabbir Ahmed Ansari, founder and national president of the All India Muslim OBC Organisation and one of Maharashtra's most prominent voices for social justice, passed away on Sunday in Jalna district.
He was 75 and had devoted more than 45 years to the cause of religion-neutral reservations and empowerment of Other Backward Classes (OBCs), particularly among Muslim communities. He is survived by his wife, three sons and six daughters. His last rites are scheduled to be performed in Jalna at 9 pm.
Born into a modest farming family in Jalna, Ansari grew up in a tin-roofed house and had limited access to formal education, never attended university and possessed only basic knowledge of English. Despite these constraints, h...