BENGALURU: The Congress government, which has promised to accept the socio-economic caste census done by the Backward Classes Commission soon, is likely to table the Justice AJ Sadashiva Commission’s report on the classification of SC quota during the winter session in Belagavi next month.
In its manifesto for the May 10 assembly elections, the Congress party had promised to implement the report. Interestingly, even before the opposition parties raised the issue, Food, and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa raked it up by giving a call to the Madiga community (SC-left) members to protest against the district in-charge ministers concerned to exert pressure on them.
However, SC-right leaders, including Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara and Social Welfare Minister Dr HC Mahadevappa clarified that they have no objection to the implementation of the report, provided all the 101 communities within the SC category are taken into confidence.
Writer Devanuru Mahadeva held a meeting of some leaders of these communities recently in Mysuru on the issue, according to a source. However, the Bhovi and Lambani communities opposed the report, although it has not been released fully.
The report recommended a classification of 15% SC quota with 6% to SC (left), 5% to right, 3% to Bhovi, Lambani, Koracha and Korama castes, and 1% to others. However, the previous Bommai government increased the SC quota to 17% through an Ordinance, following the recommendations of Justice Nagamohan Das Commission.
Meanwhile, the then law minister JC Madhuswamy had declared that the AJ Sadashiva Commission’s report had also been accepted by the government which resulted in “confusion”. The Lambanis staged a statewide protest with a religious head even attempting suicide. It was one of the factors that went against the BJP in the assembly elections.
Ahead of the 2013 assembly polls, the SC-left members staged a protest in front of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi demanding that the report, which the commission submitted in 2012 when DV Sadananda Gowda was CM, be implemented. They were lathi-charged and the community turned against the BJP. This helped Congress win in 2013, said P Sriram, an activist.
The issue assumes significance now because of the 2024 LS polls. As the state legislature has no provision to implement the classification of quota, the Siddaramaiah government will place the report for debate and forward it to the Centre for implementation, according to political analysts.