Internal quota: Rally planned on March 12

Accusing the Social Welfare Minister H.C. Mahadevappa of “blocking” the implementation of internal reservation for Scheduled Castes, the Committee for Internal Reservation on Monday (March 9) said that a rally will be held on March 12 “to teach the government a lesson”.

Even as activists have threatened to launch an indefinite dharna if the Cabinet does not provide solution on March 12, it is learnt that informally discussions are under way among leaders, Cabinet Ministers and senior bureaucrats belonging to different Dalit sub-groups on how sub-classification can be worked out within the 15% reservation quota for SCs.

Discussions are also under way to possibly accommodate a quota for 59 nomadic communities that are now clubbed with “touchable” communities. A source said that the Cabinet is likely to discuss the possibilities on March 12.

Meanwhile, Internal Reservation Committee secretary Basavaraj Kowthal told presspersons here on March 9 that they would launch an indefinite dharna at Freedom Park if the Cabinet does not find solution to the impasse.

Demanding immediate withdrawal of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms’ February 27 notification, he said that the State should take an all-party delegation to the Centre to build pressure to include it in the Ninth Schedule. Another senior leader, Marasandra Muniyappa, said that internal reservation should be considered even in backlog posts, and nomadic communities should be given 1 % reservation. The leaders also demanded replacement of the Social Welfare Minister.