Karnataka constitutes panel on backward classes

Karnataka constitutes panel on backward classes
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The Basavaraj Bommai-led state government on Sunday constituted a commission to study political representation of backward classes, a year ahead of the state assembly polls in which the ruling BJP hopes to retain power with a full majority.

Karnataka has a strong influence of caste in its society and politics with Lingayats, Vokkaligas and of late, Kurubas playing key roles.

The commission will be headed by former Karnataka HC judge Justice Bhaktavatsala while retired IAS official CR Chikmath will be its member.

“The commission has been constituted following a Supreme Court instruction in a case related to ensuring suitable representation for backward classes in panchayati raj institutions and urban local bodies,” Bommai was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the chief minister’s office (CMO).

The Supreme Court had asked state governments to reserve seats for local bodies only after conducting a triple test to evaluate the backward communities to whom reservation is to be given. The order came while hearing a petition challenging OBC reservation in local body polls by Maharashtra.

So far, only Madhya Pradesh has submitted a report to the apex court recommending 35% reservation in local body polls to OBCs. Tripe test was specified by the SC in March 2021 Vilas Kishanrao Gawli case in which the states were asked to set up a commission to evaluate the backwardness of the communities, reserve seats on the basis of recommendations of the commission and in any case, the total seats reserved should not exceed the total reservation for scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and OBCs.

The setting up of the commission comes at a time when several sections of society have questioned the dominance of larger communities such as Lingayats and Vokkaligas in the political landscape of Karnataka.

The CMO statement stated: “The issue was discussed at the all-party meetings held on March 23 and 31 and it was decided to hold the elections to these democratic institutions only after making provision for reservation for these communities. The commission would make suitable recommendations after studying the political backwardness of backward classes in these democratic institutions.”

In 2015, the then Siddaramaiah- led Congress government had commissioned a socio-economic and educational survey, better known as “caste-census”, to challenge the dominance of the two large communities as he had stormed to power with the wave of AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) in 2013.

Bommai already faces pressure from dominant groups such as Panchamasali, the largest sub-sect under the Lingayats, Vokkaligas, Kurubas, Valmikis as well as other smaller groups for better reservation opportunities.

The findings of the caste census, carried out at a cost of ₹160 crore, is yet to be officially released as Bommai and those before him are wary of the backlash from dominant communities and helps keep long-pending reservation requests on hold. Leaked findings of the report indicated that the strength of the two dominant caste groups — Lingayats and Vokkaligas — were brought down to around 10% from 17% and 14%, respectively.

A 2019 study by Swabhimani Dalit Shakti, a social advocacy group in Karnataka, found that the practice of untouchability was rampant in nearly 87 villages in Haveri district where they were not allowed to draw water from wells, enter temples or even get a haircut.

BK Hariprasad, Congress legislator and leader of the opposition in the upper house, said: “If they (BJP) really wanted to help backward classes, they should have shared the findings of the Kantharaj commission report (caste census). But they have put this in cold storage citing some lacuna in the report. They (BJP government) should have gone through it. If there were some gaps, they could have removed and shared the report.”

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