Take back funds but give SC status: Madiwala seer to CM Bommai

He said around 98% of people of the community are still relying on traditional occupation to earn their livelihood

Madiwala Gurupeeta Seer Basava Machideva Swami appealed to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to take back funds allotted to the community and the mutt by the Karnataka government, and to include the community in the list of SCs.

He was speaking at Kayaka Janotsava, organised as part of Basava Machideva Swami's 5th coronation anniversary in the premises of Madiwala Gurupeeta, here on Thursday. He said, he would remain indebted to the government for releasing Rs 3 crore to the mutt. "But our main demand is to include the community in the list of SCs so that people would benefit from it." He urged the government to consider the ethnographic study of people of the community.

He said around 98 per cent of people of the community are still relying on traditional occupation to earn their livelihood. So, the government must sanction grant of Rs 500 crore to Madiwala Machideva Community Development Corporation in the next budget and extend free electricity facility to this community also.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai promised that the government would review the report submitted by Dr Annapoornamma legally and provide social justice within the legal framework.

He said ethnographic study of people of the community had been submitted to the government eight years ago. But the successive governments did not pay attention to it. He promised that he would take steps to ensure that people of the community are given social justice.

Kunchitiga Gurupeeta Seer Shantaveera Swami urged the government to add Madiwala community to the list of SCs and provide social justice to it. This is the appeal of seers of backward classes.

He said the living conditions of 33 small communities including Madiwala, Hadapada, Kumbara, Helava, Tigala are pathetic. The government must not ignore these small communities. "We may not have the strength to put pressure on the government as we are less in numbers. But these communities are in need of reservation."

BJP Parliamentary Board member B S Yediyurappa said the community deserves to be part of the list of SCs and the government must consider the demand.

BJP Parliamentary Board member B S Yediyurappa was also presented with Machideva award on the occasion.