K. Jayaprakash Hegde
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The newly announced categories of 2C and 2D in the backward classes category for reservation in education and employment for Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats, respectively, will not see the light of the day any time soon, with Karnataka Permanent Backward Classes Commission chairman K. Jayaprakash Hegde on Wednesday saying that the final report on this issue “cannot be prepared in a hurry”.
The BJP government has been waiting for the final report of the commission to go ahead with re-categorisation amid pressure from the communities.
Delay in process
While the commission is assessing secondary data and held 26 public hearings on Panchamasalis, a powerful sub-sect of Veerashaiva-Lingayats which is seeking Category 2A status, the public hearing for increasing quota or re-categorisation of Vokkaligas has not yet commenced. Despite reminders, the government and universities have provided just about 50% of data on caste-wise government employees and students, which helps in comparison. The public hearing for Vokkaligas has been put off after community representatives sought more time to furnish documents to support their claim for higher reservation, Mr. Hegde told reporters here. Currently, Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats have been categorised under categories 3A and 3B, respectively.
Under pressure from the Panchamasalis, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J.C. Madhuswamy, during the winter session in Belagavi, had announced the creation of new categories for the two politically powerful landowning communities based on the commission’s interim report. He had indicated that they were likely to get 2% to 3% more reservation that will be carved out of the 10% EWS quota. The Law Minister had said the government would get the final report in about two or three months.
‘Govt. cannot pressurise’
Mr. Hegde pointed out that while the newly announced categories had been stayed by the Karnataka High Court, a timeline cannot be fixed for a detailed final report. “The government cannot pressurise the commission for submission of the final report.”
Pointing out at the Vanniyar community issue in Tamil Nadu that has been struck down by court, he said, “Courts are against culling out one sub-caste for providing reservation in a different category. We do not want such a thing to be repeated in Karnataka, which can affect many in the young generation.”
Commission sources said that while Panchamsalis have been demanding re-categorisation to 2A, communities such as Kurubas, Madiwalas, and Savitha Samaj already in the 2A category have opposed inclusion of Panchamsalis fearing loss of reservation benefits.
Adding more sub-sects
Mr. Hegde said the commission would recommend addition of 18 Lingayat sub-castes in Category 3B that were dropped by the government earlier. After 19 Lingayat sub-castes were added in 2009, 18 were dropped, barring Panchamshalis, in category 3B, and the commission has recommended the inclusion of these castes again, he said and added that it would be submitting a report on 12 Veerashaiva-Lingayat subcastes to the government.
