Karnataka govt mulling inclusion of Kurubas under ST list

Karnataka government is mulling inclusion of the Kurubas, the community to which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah belongs, under the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list.

A meeting is likely to be held under the chairmanship of the Karnataka Scheduled Tribe Welfare Department Secretary on Tuesday in Bengaluru to discuss the issue. Also, it is likely to discuss the inclusion of the Kuruba community of Bidar, Kalaburagi and Yadgir districts in Karnataka as a synonym of the Gonda community of Karnataka State.

Kurubas currently come under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

They are seen as a dominant OBC community in the state after the Lingayats and Vokkaligas.

Among five OBC categories in Karnataka, who get an overall 32 per cent reservation, Kurubas come under Category 2A which has a 15 per cent quota.

To add any community to ST list, a recommendation has to be made by the state government to the Centre, according to officials.

Rural Development Minister Priyank Kharge said the government is making honest efforts in this regard.

''There has been a demand for a long time from the Koli and Kuruba communities (to be included under STs). During our previous government (Congress), we had sent the recommendation to the central government. They had sent back seeking clarification. Despite giving clarification, it was not done, stating it has to be done by following the anthropology report. Now, meetings have been called by the state government, separately for both communities to discuss this,'' he told reporters in Kalaburagi.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka said let the government discuss with the communities, the BJP has no objections if things are done as per the Constitution.

''Everything should be done as per the Constitution and law, abiding by Supreme Court orders. It should not be done merely for the sake of votes, without thinking about legal hurdles that may arise,'' he said.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy noting that it was the BJP which increased ST reservation from 3 to 7 per cent, said Siddaramaiah, who used to claim being secular, is now silently fighting for the cause of his own community.

''This Congress government and Siddaramaiah now wants to add several Kuruba communities under ST. Isn't Siddaramaiah a casteist? ....There is nothing wrong in providing benefits to the poor among Kurubas. If Kurubas are included under STs, the ST reservation has to be enhanced accordingly,'' he said, as he urged the government to consider and ensure that no injustice is caused to STs.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)