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Banjaras continue protests in Shivamogga over quota issue
In Bagalkot, members of the Lambani community put up posters against the BJP government and staged protests in various taluks of the district, demanding that the state government revoke the internal reservation
Bengaluru
A day after staging massive protests in former chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s constituency Shikaripur in Shivamogga over internal reservation recommended by the state government to the Centre, hundreds of protesters on Tuesday gathered on the highway in the district and stopped vehicles near Kunchenahalli.
The vehicular movement between Shivamogga and Shikaripur was disrupted as members of Banjara, Bhovi and Koracha communities staged ‘rasta roko’ at Kunchenahalli. Blocking the Shivamogga-Shikaripur highway, the protesters burnt tyres and raised slogans against the BJP government, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, and Yediyurappa, police officials monitoring the situation said.
In Bagalkot, members of the Lambani community put up posters against the BJP government and staged protests in various taluks of the district, demanding that the state government revoke the internal reservation.
Meanwhile, home minister Araga Jnanendra on Tuesday visited Shikaripur and said that police will investigate the incidents of violence. “Yediyurappa has asked us not to book the protesters. However, during the incident, some policemen were injured. So, the police will conduct an inquiry. Some criminal elements were involved in the protests and stone pelting,” he said.
On Monday, the Banjara community members pelted stones at the residence of Yediyurappa in Shikaripur. Hundreds of protesters clashed with the police posted outside the BJP leader’s residence and hurled stones, as the police resorted to lathi charge and water cannons to disperse the crowd. At least four policemen were injured in the incident.
Reacting to the violence, Yediyurappa said he would try to pacify the community by assuring them to hold talks in the coming days, and asked the police to not take any action against the protesters.
Bommai claimed that reservation quantum for the community would increase under the new system and accused the opposition Congress of instigating them. Bommai said the internal reservation was not done as per the recommendations of the AJ Sadashiva Commission but as per that of the cabinet sub-committee.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar on Tuesday alleged that it’s an internal conspiracy against Yediyurappa. “This is an internal difference in the BJP which has exploded now. BJP leaders want to finish off BS Yediyurappa due to which they have engineered pelting of stones,” Shivakumar said. Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah said that the protest is the handiwork of the BJP.
A section of the SCs has been seeking internal reservation, claiming that only a few powerful “touchable” sub-castes were reaping most of the benefits. In response to these demands, the state government resolved to establish an internal reservation to offer equal opportunity to all 101 SC castes.
In a cabinet meeting held on Friday, the Bommai-led government recommended a new breakup of the reservation for Scheduled Castes in education and jobs. Out of the 17% reservation for the SC community, the cabinet has recommended a 6% internal quota for SC (left), 5.5% for SC (right), 4.5% for touchable (Banjara, Bhovi, Korcha, Kuruma etc.), and 1% for others.
While the BJP has accused Congress of instigating the community, some experts said the protests were a result of miscommunication and lack of clarity among the members over reservation.
According to Veeresh Naik, head of the Banjara community in Channagiri taluk, people fear that they would be omitted from the SC list and deprived of reservation.
Hitting out at the state government over the new break-up, Naik said, “There is no question of internal reservation according to the Constitution. The government has divided the SC community into four segments on the basis of internal reservation. We fear that going forward, we will be removed from the SC list. This is what the protest was about in Shikaripur.”
“The state government is fooling us. Why did they do this on the last day of the cabinet meeting, without taking the people of the community into confidence?” Naik asked.
Meanwhile, some experts said the Banjara community, which is relatively well-educated compared to the SC (left) and SC (right) and was reaping most of the benefits, is concerned as its share of reservation is now limited to 4.5%.
“Three people have been arrested in connection with the violence, officials said on Tuesday. The accused, Raghavendra, Puneeth and Kumar, have been booked under section 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections related to rioting,” said GK Mithun Kumar, Shivamogga superintendent of police.
