Mangaluru ST Committee Demands Internal Reservation, Cites Supreme Court Directive
An Action Committee of Scheduled Tribes in Mangaluru has demanded internal reservation for Scheduled Tribes. They want this on the lines of the internal quota proposed for Scheduled Castes in a bill passed by the state legislature.
Committee Plans Legal and Legislative Action
MLC Shantharam Budna Siddi told reporters on Sunday that the forum will take up fights at various levels. This includes seeking legal recourse to push for separate internal reservation for nearly 50 castes belonging to the ST category. He said that the issue will also be raised in the next state legislature session.
The Parishishta Pangadagala Olameesalathi Horata Samiti demanded that the Karnataka government immediately initiate the process. They want to ensure internal reservation for ST communities.
Supreme Court Judgment and Government Response
Referring to the Supreme Court judgment delivered on August 1, 2024, the MLC said that the court directed states to collect accurate data. They must conduct a backwardness study and ensure that equals and unequals are not brought under the same group.
Hence, the state government should immediately constitute an independent commission. This commission would conduct a detailed study in this regard and submit recommendations for sub-classification within Scheduled Tribes.
The committee held meetings with leaders of Scheduled Tribes in all districts. They discussed the future course of action.
The BJP government led by Basavaraj Bommai increased SC and ST reservation in proportion to the population in 2022. Following the Supreme Court verdict, the Congress government under minister Siddaramaiah took initiatives. They announced internal reservation within Scheduled Castes based on the recommendations of the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission.
The state government also should take initiatives for the internal reservation of ST communities, he urged.
Population Disparities and Community Concerns
Karnataka Rajya Marathi Okkuta president Sundar Naik said that the state has 50 castes under the Scheduled Tribe category. While the combined population of the ST community in Karnataka, as per the 2011 Census, is 42.4 lakh, the Valmiki community alone accounts for 32.9 lakh.
Meanwhile, the collective population of the remaining 49 castes is only 9.5 lakh. The population of many tribes is less than 10,000.
Government jobs are still a distant dream for the ST communities. This includes Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups like Koragas and Jenu Kurubas, he said.
Samiti members urged the comparatively dominant Valmiki community within the Scheduled Tribes to play a key leadership role. They want them to help the smaller and more marginalised tribes.
