In a landmark move, the Karnataka Cabinet on Tuesday, August 19, approved an internal reservation matrix, dividing the existing 17% reservation for the Scheduled Castes (SC) into three categories. The Cabinet’s decision differs from the recommendations of the Justice HN Nagamohan Das Commission and could come in for criticism from some of the most marginalised Dalit communities, who have been grouped with more forward communities.
A special meeting of the Cabinet on Tuesday night approved 6% each to SC Right (Holeyas) and SC Left (Madigas), while 5% will go to touchable castes (Lambani, Korama, Koracha, Bhovis) and 59 other microscopic communities.
The government is expected to issue an ordinance regarding internal reservation during the ongoing monsoon session of the legislature. If the ordinance comes through, Karnataka will be one of four states in the country to implement internal reservations for the Scheduled Castes along with Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana after the Supreme Court’s verdict last year.
The HN Nagamohan Das Commission, which submitted its report on August 4, had recommended five categories based on both social and educational backwardness and population data. It had proposed 6% to Dalit Left, 5% to Dalit Right, 4% to touchable castes, 1% to nomadic castes and 1% to Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida and Adi Andhra groups.
Instead, the Cabinet consolidated these into three categories. It merged the Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida and Adi Andhra groups into SC (Right) and clubbed the nomadic castes with the broader touchable category.
A group led by former Minister H Anjaneya felicitated Chief Minister Siddaramaiah by garlanding him and distributing sweets on the premises of the Vidhana Soudha after the meeting. However, another group, reportedly a nomadic community, raised slogans against the Congress-led government, alleging that their community has been included in a category allotted only 5% reservation.
The Cabinet meeting, which was initially slated for Saturday, had to be postponed to Tuesday due to a lack of consensus. Home Minister G Parameshwara reportedly held extensive discussions with five Dalit ministers and key community leaders to build consensus. Retired Dalit bureaucrats were also involved in shaping the final decision.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs HK Patil said, "All the leaders have come out with happiness and satisfaction. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will make an announcement on the government’s decision in the session on Wednesday. Ministers KH Muniyappa, HC Mahadevappa, Shivaraj Tangadagi, and G Parameshwara are happy."
Minister for Kannada and Culture Shivaraj Tangadagi said, "A historic decision has been made in the special cabinet meeting. Internal reservations have been provided by classifying sub-castes into three groups: right, left, and others. The decision was made in the cabinet after taking everyone’s consent, and it has been ensured that all are satisfied."
“We are all together. Nobody will be left behind. Earlier, all communities were competing as a pool of 101 castes,” Tangadagi said when asked about the clubbing of some of the most marginalised groups with the more forward castes.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa stated, "All 101 sub-castes under the Scheduled Caste community have been given social justice, and the decision has been taken in such a way that no group is subjected to injustice."
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 started work on January 1 and submitted its interim report on March 27 this year.
The Cabinet accepted the interim report. A survey to collect data on educational and social backwardness and representation in government jobs was conducted between May 5 and July 6.
The survey covered 27,24,768 households and 1,07,01,982 people. The final report contained 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.
Renowned Kannada writer Devanuru Mahadeva had written an open letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, urging the implementation of internal reservation.
(With inputs from IANS)