Internal reservation: Nomadic castes to continue indefinite stir

Unrelenting in their demand for a separate 1% reservation within the 17% reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) as recommended by the H.N. Nagamohan Das Commission, people from nomadic and semi-nomadic communities gathered in Bengaluru seeking that the government revisit the earlier Cabinet decision to club them with “touchable castes”. On Wednesday, they announced that their protest will continue indefinitely at Freedom Park till their demands are met.

Seeking priority in reservation for 59 microscopic communities, including nomadic and semi-nomadic castes, which have been identified as the most backward castes among the SCs by the commission, the Federation for Social Justice for SCs said, “We believe the government has alienated the microscopic communities by bringing them together with the relatively well-off communities of Lambani, Bhovi, Korma and Korcha.”

It said that a Special Component Plan should be made for these communities in the budget, and 1 % of the total allocation to the SCs should be set aside for the development of nomadic and semi-nomadic castes.

Seeking a separate development corporation for the nomadic and semi-nomadic communities, it stated that the Korama and Koracha should not be included in the corporation. Threatening to continue their protest indefinitely until their demands are met, they have announced Belagavi chalo during the Winter session of the State legislature.