Justice Nagamohan Das Commission report lists nearly 50 castes 'most backward'

Bengaluru: The Justice Nagamohan Das Commission report has recommended dividing the 17% reservation basket for Scheduled Castes (SCs) into five categories, including the ‘most backward communities’ category, comprising nearly 50 of the 101 castes amongst SCs.

The SCs’ survey enumerated 1.07 crore people. Of the 17% reservation that SCs have in Karnataka, category 1 or the ‘most backward communities’, will get 1%. Category 2 or the SC (Left)/Madiga community 6%, category 3 or the SC (Right)/Holeya 5%, category 4 or ‘touchable’ communities (4%) and category 5 or Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida and Adi Andhra communities (1%).

While the ‘most backward communities’ category is estimated to comprise 49 communities, category 2 includes 18 castes. Around 26-27 castes are estimated in category 3, while category 4 comprises four castes and category 5 consists of three castes (AK, AD and AA).

‘Madigas more backward’

According to a source, the SC (left) community was found to be more populous and more backward in educational and employment parameters.

It is estimated that the Madiga population is around 35-40 lakh, a few lakh more than that of Holeyas, who are, in turn, a few lakhs more than the ‘touchables’. The ‘touchables’ are likely to be around 24-25 lakh.

‘Most backward communities’ and ‘AK, AD and AA’ have around 5 lakh population each. Incidentally, the A J Sadashiva Commission report and the previous BJP-led government had both recommended a greater share of the reservation for Madigas than Holeyas.

In line with the Supreme Court’s mandate to consider social and educational backwardness and the lack of representation in government jobs, the commission has reportedly considered employment data, university admissions, land ownership details etc. In all parameters, the Holeyas are more forward than the Madigas. 

Though the SC communities have a reasonably high literacy rate, their representation in higher education was abysmally low at around 3-4%, sources say. “The entire SC community is educationally backward. However, the SC (right) community is more forward than SC (left) and ‘touchable’ communities.”  

Though backward in education, the ‘touchable; community is said to be more advanced than the SC (Right) and SC (Left) communities in other parameters such as housing, land ownership and so on.

“More than anything else, they are touchable. Thus, they are socially less backward. That is why they have been given a lesser share of the pie (4%),” a source noted.

However, Congress MLC Prakash Rathod disagreed with this conclusion. “It is unconstitutional to term Bhovi, Lambani, Korma and Korcha communities as ‘touchables’. This divides the SC community. It is wrong to say that these communities are less backward. Rightfully, we should at least get 4.5% reservation.”

Noting that the meeting of Congress’ SC MLAs and ministers had taken everyone into confidence, Rathod hoped that the commission would recommend a formula suitable to all communities.

“With renewed classification, communities in each category will have to compete with fewer competitors. That is a defining feature of this report,” added a source.