BENGALURU: Members of the Scheduled Castes (SC) across the city protested at Freedom Park, demanding immediate intervention to resolve delays and denials in issuing caste certificates. The protest, organised by grassroots community leaders, highlighted the bureaucratic hurdles that continue to deny vulnerable families access to essential government welfare schemes.
The demonstrators, many of whom live in informal settlements, raised concerns about the mandatory requirement of school transfer certificates for caste verification — an unrealistic demand for thousands who are unlettered or migrated from other districts and states.
Despite belonging to historically marginalised SC communities, these families are unable to produce documentary evidence, such as school records, leaving them excluded from schemes that require caste-based proof, according to a release.
Emotional testimonies
Single women and widowed mothers shared emotional testimonies about their children being denied caste certificates due to the absence of the father’s caste proof or school documents, the release added.
Additional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, Nagesh, visited the protestors and assured to coordinate with the Revenue Department and arrange for a joint meeting to resolve the issues.