Bengaluru, Oct 7 (IANS) Responding to the row over providing Schedule Tribe (ST) status to the Kuruba community, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the reservation for the community must be raised and added that no one can encroach upon anyone else’s rights or take away opportunities to them.

“If Kurubas are included in ST category, the overall ST quota must be increased. I fully support this. No one should encroach on anyone else’s rights or take away opportunities — this is my firm commitment.”

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hails from the Kuruba community and Nayaka community is vehemently opposing the move.

The statement by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in this regard are likely to trigger a debate in the state.

He was speaking at the Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti programme held in the Banquet Hall of Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, after presenting the Valmiki awards.

Siddaramaiah also clarified regarding the current demand to include Kurubas in the ST category that the efforts are being led by former Deputy Chief Minister K.S. Eshwarappa.

When Basavaraj Bommai was the Karnataka Chief Minister, he forwarded Eshwarappa’s request to the Centre for the inclusion of Kurubas in the ST category.

“The Centre has sought clarifications on the proposal, and this is currently known to the state government,” CM Siddaramaiah said.

He also called on the Valmiki community to stand firm in support of those who worked for their welfare and upliftment while in power.

He noted that the Congress-led government, under his leadership, enacted laws to allocate funds in the development budget proportionate to the population of SC/ST communities.

The Residential and Morarji schools were also established for the SC/ST communities under Siddaramaiah’s tenure.

He urged the Valmiki community to remember and honour those who worked for their welfare while in power.

Siddaramaiah said that he and former Minister Ugrappa had requested former Chief Minister late Ramakrishna Hegde to include the Valmiki and Kuruba communities in the ST category.

Although Hegde forwarded the request to the Centre, it was not implemented.

However, Ugrappa continued efforts in coordination with former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and later during Prime Minister Chandrashekhar’s tenure, the Valmiki community was included in ST category through the support of Deve Gowda.

He reminded the people that Ugrappa played a key role in securing reservations for the Valmiki, Beda and Nayak communities.

He said that when late J.H. Patel was the Karnataka Chief Minister, several communities, including the Bestas, were recommended for inclusion in the ST category, but it has not yet been implemented.

–IANS

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