A massive demonstration and stone-pelting took place outside the home of former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa in Karnataka’s Shimoga district, with police cracking down on hundreds of protesters from the Banjara community. The community is protesting against the Karnataka government’s recent decision on reservation for Scheduled Castes, which recommended a new breakup of the reservation for Scheduled Castes in education and jobs.
The Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government recommended that out of the 17 per cent reservation for the Scheduled Castes, 6 per cent be earmarked for Scheduled Castes (left), 5.5 per cent for Scheduled Castes (right), 4.5 per cent for “touchables” and one per cent to others. The decision was taken based on a report by the AJ Sadashiva Commission constituted by the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) in 2005 to look into the need for sub-classifying Scheduled Caste reservations in the state. Leaders of the Banjara community are protesting against the state government’s decision on reservation, claiming that they would lose out due to the recommendation.
They have demanded that the state government withdraw the recommendation immediately. The Banjara community is a scheduled caste subgroup in the state, and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes together account for 24 per cent of Karnataka’s population. In addition to this, Muslim leaders have also criticized the BJP government after the recommendation sought to remove Muslims from the 2B category of Other Backward Classes, which gave them four per cent reservation. The state cabinet has now decided to split the 4 per cent reservation between Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats.
