MYSURU: When Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is already facing the heat from two prominent communities -- Panchamsali Lingayats demanding 2A quota and the Kuruba community ST reservation --- another dominant backward caste, Upparas, have now pitched for Scheduled Caste tag. Both the Panchamsalis and the Kurubas are on separate padayatras demanding reservation.
Now, the Uppara community leaders have decided to take to the streets urging the government and the PM to consider their decades-old demand.
The Uppara community, numbering about 25 lakh, is spread in central, old Mysuru and Mumbai Karnataka region. The community leaders from across the state have joined hands to launch protests once the ethnographic study on Upparas is completed and the report is submitted to the government.
They claim they have distinctive culture, live in geographical isolation outside the main village and are socially and economically backward.
Uppara leader Jaganath Sagar said that the expert committee from Kannada University constituted by Devaraj Urs Research Centre has toured eight districts and will now visit Mysuru and Chamarajanagar.
The panel members will visit Uppara hamlets for three days from February 15. He said they have appealed to the community to share information with the experts as they have missed the SC tag despite the S Bangarappa government recommending to the Centre.
Sagar justified their demand as the education ratio is less than 40 per cent as they all work as agricultural labourers. Somashekar, retired engineer, said that the socio-economic condition of Upparas is worse than the Bovi community that has managed to gain from getting the SC tag.
While the LG Havanur Commission report had noted that the community, engaged in salt making and working as agriculture labourers, were 100% illiterate and live in villages where there were no basic facilities, the Venkataswamy Commission had also observed that the Upparas were educationally and economically backward.