The protest is being organized by the Confederation of Untouchable Nomadic Communities of Karnataka, which represents 59 communities whose traditional livelihoods often still depend on begging, street art, and nomadic labor.
New Delhi—Thousands of members of Karnataka’s most disadvantaged communities will gather in the national capital on Gandhi Jayanti to demand the implementation of a separate 1% reservation quota originally recommended by a state-appointed committee.
The protest is being organized by the Confederation of Untouchable Nomadic Communities of Karnataka, which represents 59 communities whose traditional livelihoods often still depend on begging, street art, and nomadic labor.
This gathering in Delhi is the latest chapter in the fight for reservation within the Scheduled Caste (SC) category in Karnataka.
The focus of the controversy is the Karnataka government’s recent internal reservation policy, implemented on August 19th. This policy divided the SC quota into:
- Category A (SC Left): 6%
- Category B (SC Right): 6%
- Category C (Touchable SC): 5%
Nomadic communities have been placed in the 5% “Touchable SC” category (Category C). They argue that this contradicts the Justice Nagmohan Das Committee’s recommendation, which specifically recommended creating a separate 1% reservation for them within Category A, ensuring them first priority in government jobs and educational admissions.
The communities allege that by placing them in Category C, the state government has effectively deprived them of their legitimate share and priority, forcing them to compete with larger, more influential groups.
Frustrated by what they call the “helplessness” of the Karnataka government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the communities are now taking their petition to the national opposition.
The federation said, “The Delhi mission is a final appeal to the conscience of the nation. This gathering is not just a peaceful delegation; it is a final appeal.”
On October 2, the delegation will march to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office to submit a memorandum to Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders. The memorandum will urge them to intervene to ensure the implementation of the separate 1% reservation originally recommended in Karnataka.
Geetha Sunil Pillai
Courtesy: Hindi News