Kuruba seer to meet PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah for ST status

Kaginele-based Kanaka Gurupeetha Seer Niranjananandapuri Swamiji said he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah soon and urge them to accord ST status to Kuruba community in Karnataka.

He was speaking a meeting on ST reservation for Kuruba community on the premises of Kanaka Gurupeetha branch mutt near Belludi in the taluk on Thursday. He said he would meet union cabinet ministers in Delhi soon to explain them about the conditions of people belonging to Kuruba community and the need to accord ST status to them for their overall development.

He said it is an apolitical agitation and it would resume till the demand is met. As part of the agitation, padayatra would be taken out from January 15. He appealed to people of the community to take part in it.

Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa said the community was deprived of ST reservation facility due to the lack of political will. Now, the seer has taken the initiative in getting ST status to the community. There is a need to put pressure on the Centre in this regard.

He also made it clear that the agitation is on behalf of all communities that are eligible to get ST status and not against any community. "We will extend support to Ganaga Matha, Uppara, Savita and other communities which are eligible to get ST status."

He appealed to people of the community to take part in padayatra that would be taken out from Kaginele to Bengaluru from January 15 and ST convention slated to be held in Bengaluru on February 7 to show strength of the community.

Kanaka Gurupeetha Hosadurga branch Mutt Seer Eshwaranandapuri Swamji, ST Agitation Committee President T Virupakshappa, and others were present on the occasion.