Vokkaligas press for more quota in jobs, admissions

Ministers and BJP legislators belonging to the dominant Vokkaliga community in the state have launched their campaign demanding the reservation under the 3A category of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) should be increased from 4 to 12% in admission to educational institutions and government jobs.

Amid Panchamasali Lingayats demanding more quota in admission to educational institutions and government jobs, the Vokkaligas in the state have now stepped up their demand to increase reservations for their community.

The Vokkaligas in the state have now stepped up their demand to increase reservations for their community. (HT Photo)

Ministers and BJP legislators belonging to the dominant Vokkaliga community in the state have launched their campaign demanding the reservation under the 3A category of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) should be increased from 4 to 12% in admission to educational institutions and government jobs.

The Vokkaligas, a dominant community constituting about 15% of the state population, come under the OBCs in Karnataka. They have been demanding that all 115 Vokkaliga sub-castes be included in the OBC list and increase reservations from 4 to 12%.

On Friday, a delegation of state ministers and MLAs from the Vokkaliga community, under the leadership of state revenue minister R Ashoka, submitted a memorandum to chief minister Basavaraj Bommai in Belagavi to hike reservations for the community.

“Today, we submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister to increase our reservation from 4% to 12%. Although our population is 16%, we want 12% reservation,” Ashoka told reporters after submitting the memorandum.

Higher education minister CN Ashwath Narayan, home minister Araga Jnanendra, and health minister Dr K Sudhakar are among the signatories of the memorandum.

Sudhakar said in comparison to the population of the Vokkaliga community in the state, the reservation given in the education and employment sectors is insufficient.

“Most Vokkaligas are farmers and are contributing immensely to the country. A request has been submitted to the Chief Minister to take action to increase the reservation,” Sudhakar said.

Sudhakar clarified that the community is not putting any pressure or being unreasonable but is only requesting to hike reservations in proportion to the population.

Claiming that the state government has already made efforts to increase reservations for the weaker section, Sudhakar said the chief minister would decide the demands of the Vokkaliga community after reviewing the legal and constitutional feasibility.

“Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai understands the needs of all the communities. He said he will ensure social justice to all deprived communities,” the health minister said.

The Vokkaligas have also been asking to make a block quota within the 10% reservation made for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) to help poor Vokkaligas.

Meanwhile, Bommai on Friday said he asked the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes (KSCBC) to submit a report on the various demands of the dominant Vokkaliga community in the state.

He added that the Adichunchanagiri Math seer Nirmalanandanath Swamiji, too, had a meeting on this issue and submitted a memorandum to him. The memorandum was later sent to KSCBC.

“I sent the letter (submitted by the seer) to the backward class commission last month. I will also send the present memorandum to the KSCBC chairman and ask him to submit a report soon,” Bommai said.

The demand comes a day after the Karnataka cabinet is said to have informally discussed the demand for higher reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the Panchamasali Lingayat community. Panchamasalis comprise more than 70% of the state’s 17% Lingayat populace.

Panchamsali leader and BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal also said that the state has “agreed to accord reservation to the community after the formalities are completed on December 29.”

The Panchamasali Lingayats, who are said to be socially backward among other Lingayat sects, want to be included in category 2A (15%) of the OBC reservation matrix. They are currently included under 3B (5%).

The Panchamasali Lingayats and Vokkaligas, the two dominant communities that significantly influence election results in the state, are now both requesting a hike in the reservation, which has put the Bommai-led BJP government in a difficult position ahead of the Karnataka assembly elections next year.

The ruling BJP in October had issued an ordinance to enhance the reservation of STs from 3 to 7% and the SCs from 15% to 17% besides announcing a slew of welfare measures. This has already taken the reservation tally to 56%, thus crossing the 50% cap on the quota fixed by the Supreme Court.

The BJP government also faces a deadline of January 23, 2023, to consider a hike in quota for the Vokkaliga community. Last month, top religious and political leaders met under the aegis of the State Vokkaligara Sangha, where they handed out a memorandum to the government through Revenue Minister R Ashoka.

Earlier, Nanjavadhoota Swami of Spatikapuri Mutt said that the Vokkaliga community has waited for enough and would wait till January 23 for the government to respond to the memorandum. Swami Nirmalananda of Adichunchanagiri Mutt, a prominent seer spearheading the campaign, also threatened to launch a protest if their demands are not met.

Meanwhile, the mainstream Veerashaiva-Lingayats have been asking to unite all 104 sub-castes of the caste in the state. Veerashaiva-Lingayats want all sub-sects under the central OBC list and grant them 27% reservation in jobs and educational institutions.

Another powerful OBC community, Kurubas, are demanding a shift from the 2A category to the ST category. Leader of the Opposition and former chief minister Siddaramaiah, who has the support of the AHINDA (Alpasankhyataru or Minorities, Hindulidavaru or backward classes, and Dalitaru or Dalits) community, is a Kuruba.

There is a strong push for a hike in quotas from even sub-sects of dominating communities, despite an upper ceiling of 50% reservation for all caste groups combined. With the 224-member Karnataka Legislative Assembly set to go to polls in 2023, the BJP government will have to tread cautiously.