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Award-winning Kannada writer and Padma Shri recipient Devanoor Mahadeva has written an open letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, urging him to implement the Justice Nagamohas Das Commission report and introduce other measures, such as raising the reservation for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).
In his letter, Devanoor said he was writing the letter amid much “confusion and apprehensions”. “I am extremely worried that the report on internal reservation will be subjected to controversy and relegated to obscurity. Along with this, we are confronted with the pitiable situation of young people who should be rising, but instead, unable to find jobs despite vacancies, are losing their youth and are turning into middle-aged people.”
The state government appointed the single-member Justice Nagamohan Das Commission on November 12, 2024, but the terms of reference were not published till December 3. The Commission began work on January 1 and submitted its interim report on March 27 this year. The final report was submitted on August 4.
The final report contains both primary data from a social and educational survey that the Commission itself carried out, and secondary data on which communities had benefited from reservation policies and to what extent.
While urging the state government to implement the Nagamohan Das Commission report, Devanoor also urged the government to expand the scope and powers of the Scheduled Castes Commission.
“The powers and functions of the Scheduled Castes Commission must be expanded and made similar to the Backward Classes Commission to balance affirmative action policies with the rising mobility of the Dalit community, and to enable periodic revision of the quantum of internal reservation based on new data,” he said. This would make it possible for the SC Commission to accept objections regarding the Nagamohan Das Commission report and find solutions.
Devanoor noted that the Justice Nagamohan Das Committee had, in October 2022, recommended that SCs be given 18% reservation and the STs 7.5%, based on their share in the state’s population. He urged the government to raise reservation for both SCs and STs.
Calling the Nagamohan Das Commission report a “rare” feat for covering 94% of the population, Devanoor also commended the survey undertaken to gather data. “However, this is not to say that the objections against the report can simply be brushed aside.” He reiterated his call for expanding the powers and functions of both the SC and ST Commissions for periodic revision of reservation policies in accordance with data.
He also sought the implementation of reservations in contract jobs and introduction of strict measures to ensure that people who obtained fake caste certificates to avail themselves of reservation policies face strict punishment.
https://www.thenewsminute.com/karnataka/vaikom-award-to-kannada-writer-and-activist-devanoor-mahadeva-is-historic