The Hindu : BC panel holds public hearing

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 25, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

BC panel holds public hearing

By T.S. Ranganna

Bangalore Oct. 24. The Chairman of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, S. Muniraju, took the Akhila Bharata Vokkaligara Mahasabha to task today for demanding that Musuku, a forward group, be included as a synonym for the Vokkaliga caste in Category I for the purpose of reservation in education and employment.

The demand was made by the mahasabha President, V. Anjanappa, and Karumbiah during the commission's first public hearing. The Chairman asked whether they knew to which caste the Lokayukta, N. Venkatachala, and the former minister and senior Congress leader, G. Narayana Gowda, both from Kolar District, belonged. Nonplussed by this direct question, Dr. Anjanappa did not press his demand further.

In his memorandum submitted to the commission, which concluded its three-day hearing on the inclusion of synonyms in the list of backward classes, Dr. Anjanappa urged it to include 75 synonyms for the Vokkaliga caste, including the Musuku sub-caste, in Category-I, which provides for four per cent reservation.

A caste, once included in this special category, will not be affected by the comprehensive "creamy layer" policy notified in the Government Order of April 11 this year. The creamy layer policy does not apply to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and castes included under Category I of the backward classes.

The rules, however, state that castes coming under Category II (A), II (B), III (A), and III (B) will come under the creamy layer policy. What shocked the Chairman was that the mahasabha did not just urge the commission to include the 75 additional synonyms of the caste in Category III A, meant exclusively for Vokkaligas, but wanted them to be added in Category I. Category III (A) is also entitled to four per cent reservation.

Mr. Anjanappa criticised the State Government for not considering these 75 "most backward sub-castes" and recognising only 20 synonyms for Vokkaligas, because, according to him, most politicians were covered under the 20 synonyms.

But the Chairman asked him to furnish any government record which contained these 75 names as castes and the level of their backwardness.

During the three days of hearings, the following organisations submitted representations to the commission:

Somavamsa Arya Kshatriya Seva Sangha (Arya Kshatriya and Serige), All-India Sadhu Chetty 24 Mane Telugu Chetty Sangha, and Yadava (Gopati) Sangha of Shimoga for inclusion in Category I;

Karnataka United Sourashtra Organisation for inclusion in Category II (A);

Tilavana Teli Samaja of Bijapur District wanted Ganiga and Teli to be included in Category II (A); Chitradurga District Savita Samaja wanted Bhoomireddy to be included as a synonym for Nayinda and shifted from Category II (A) to Category I.

A few groups of Muslims represented by the Bearys' Welfare Association wanted Beary, Khadari, Jiradi, Bagavan, Baghavan, and Bagaban castes to be included along with Poolmali in Category I. Muslims, as a separate category, are entitled to four per cent reservation.

All the members of the commission — Prabhakar Telkar, B.K. Ravi, S. Siddagangiah, S.V. Amin, U. Bhoopathi, and Mohammad Sanaullah, Member-Secretary — were present.

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