Karnataka Congress’ SC leaders huddle to discuss internal reservation

Bengaluru: Senior Scheduled Caste (SC) ministers and lawmakers of the Congress party huddled on Saturday to deliberate on the issue of internal reservation, with the state government expected to decide on the same this month. 

At the meeting hosted by Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara at his residence, ministers K H Muniyappa, H C Mahadevappa, R B Timmapur, Shivaraj Tangadagi, Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani, and other lawmakers from SC communities were in attendance. Incidentally, leaders from both the SC (Right) and SC (Left) communities participated in the meeting. 

The Justice HN Nagamohan Das Commission is slated to submit its report on internal reservation to the government on August 4. The Commission is expected to tell the government how the 17% reservation for SCs should be divided. 

“Once the report is submitted, we must stay united. There mustn’t be any conflict. Any differences must be sorted out. Otherwise, this will be delayed for a few more years. That was what we discussed today,” Parameshwara told reporters.  

The SC (Left) leaders have been agitating for internal reservation while the SC (Right) communities, Bhovis, Lambanis and others remain wary. The SC (Right) communities are particularly against internal reservation if its implementation is based on the “unscientific” 2012 report by the Justice AJ Sadashiva Commission. 

As a confidence-building measure, Parameshwara, a leader from the SC (Right) community hosted the meeting, which also had representatives from SC (Left). 

In its submission to the Centre, the previous BJP government had recommended to 6% reservation for SC (Left), 5.5% for SC (Right), 4.5% for Banjara, Bhovi, Korcha, Kuruma etc and 1% for others. This triggered widespread protests and the BJP paid a price for it, electorally. The Congress does not want a repeat of that. 

“Irrespective of what’s in the report, we discussed the need to stay united. The report will go to the Cabinet and the government will decide. All 101 Scheduled Castes must get justice. We also discussed that communities without elected representatives must get justice too,” said Parameshwara

Muniyappa, from SC (Left), said the meeting was held to preempt any confusion among communities. “Once the report comes, we’ll discuss it again and meet the chief minister,” he said.