BENGALURU: Science and Technology Minister M R Seetharam said his Balija community should be brought back in category 2A, which is the other backward class category, at a press meet here on Wednesday. In 1994, the Balija community was included in 3A category of the backward caste list in Karnataka, which deprived them of education and employment benefits, he said.
“We have been in the 2A category since 1950s. Without consulting us, we were shifted to 3A. We are still backward. Hence we have approached the Secretary of Social Welfare to add us to this list. We have also approached the Karnataka High Court,” said Seetharam.Karnataka Pradesh Balija Samaja has made a representation to the CM on this issue. Their advocate Aswath Narayan said, “While we were given benefits under article 15 (4) for education, we were not given benefits according to article 16 (4), that is employment. We want to be grouped along with Kurubas, Idigas, Vishwakarmas, Ganigas and Thogataveeras.”