Banjara, Bhovi, Korama, Koracha Communities Challenge State’s Quota Policy

Quick Summary

• Members of Scheduled Castes,under Banjara,Bhovi Korama Koracha Kshemabhivruddhi Sangha,protested in Kalaburagi against the Karnataka Cabinet’s decision on internal reservation.
• The State government adopted a 6:6:5 formula, reducing Nagamohan Das Commission’s five recommended categories to three:

– 6% each for Dalit Right and Dalit Left communities.
– 5% for Banjara, Bhovi, Korama, Koracha and 59 other touchable castes.

• Protestors criticized the decision as unjust to 63 communities under Scheduled Castes. They were seen carrying symbols of their traditional occupations such as bamboo baskets and brooms.
• Leaders including MLA Avinash Jadhav, MLC Sunil Vallyapur, former minister Baburao Chavan condemned the reservation categorization and demanded reevaluation of the Nagamohan Das Commission report.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The protest highlights concerns regarding equitable portrayal among sub-castes within Scheduled Castes regarding Karnataka’s revised internal reservation matrix. While an increase in overall reservation for certain categories has been noted compared to previous governments’ allocations (e.g., from Basavaraj Bommai-led management’s 4.5% to Siddaramaiah-led government’s 5%), critics argue that merging categories reduces focus on specific community needs. Allegations regarding unscientific recommendations by the Nagamohan Das Commission further underline dissatisfaction with perceived biases in policymaking.

For India at large, this event underscores continuing challenges in balancing inclusion within affirmative action frameworks. Carefully addressing such grievances may prevent inter-community tensions while ensuring fair resource allocation-a key aspect of fostering social harmony amidst diversity.

Learn more hear: The Hindu