The two dominant caste groups in Karnataka – the Lingayats and Vokkaligas – are all set to enjoy more reservation, as per a decision taken by the Karnataka cabinet on Thursday.
But confusion over the announcement and the exact nature of reservations prevailed late into Friday.
This was evident from the response by Karnataka State Congress President DK Shivakumar who responded to mediapersons with – “Randeep Singh Surjewala, Siddaramaiah and I will sit down and discuss this tonight and arrive at a stand. As long as it does not hurt the backward communities, we are fine with it,” he said. Surjewala and Siddaramaiah remained tight-lipped on the subject.
The JD(S) too preferred to remain silent on the issue of reservations with spokespersons denying comment.
In a press conference on Thursday, Law Minister JC Madhuswamy and Revenue Minister R Ashok announced that the existing 3A and 3B categories of reservation would cease to exist. They would be replaced by 2C and 2D. The government plans to scoop into the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) quota of 10% to increase reservations for Lingayats and Vokkaligas, electorally significant communities. In Karnataka, OBCs or Backward Classes have 32% reservation overall.
| Current Category of BCs | Current Quota |
| Category 1 (SC & ST) | 4% |
| Category 2A (103 castes) | 15% |
| Category 2B (Muslims) | 4% |
| Category 3A (Vokkaligas + others) | 4% |
| Category 3B (Lingayats + others) | 5% |
| Proposed Category of BCs | Proposed Quota |
| Category 1 (SC & ST) | 4% |
| Category 2A (103 castes) | 15% |
| Category 2B (Muslims) | 4% |
| Category 2C (Vokkaligas + others) | 4% (Leftover EWS quota to be added) |
| Category 2D (Lingayats + others) | 5% (Leftover EWS quota to be added) |
With elections a mere three months away, the Panchamasali Lingayats have been agitating for inclusion in the 2A category which would mean higher reservation for them. The Vokkaligas too have called for an increase in reservation.
The Karnataka government’s plan is to take the leftover quota from the EWS reservation and share them between the new categories 2C and 2D. EWS quota is meant only for communities which are not socially backward but economically backward – Brahmins, Jains, Arya Vysyas, Nagarthas and Mudaliars are eligible for the same. This announcement, according to the two Ministers, was based on the interim report of the Backward Classes Commission.
“The Backward Classes Commission will fix the allocation of the 10% quota to the EWS communities in proportion to their population. The Commission will give this report in 2-3 months,” said Law Minister JC Madhuswamy.
Genius Or Eyewash?
While the Congress and the JD(S) are studying the issue in order to take a political stand, the BJP has hinted at another possibility.
Speaking to Public TV and to The Lede, Hubballi-Dharwad MLA Arvind Bellad, a Panchamasali Lingayat himself, said that he had suggested to the Chief Minister that the quota for Muslims and Christians be removed and reassigned to Lingayats and Vokkaligas.
“The question of who should get reservation was discussed in detail by our Constituent Assembly and it was categorically decided that reservation would be on the basis of caste and not religion,” said Bellad.
“Muslims and Christians – the Abrahamic religions – claim that they do not have the concept of caste. So why do we give reservation to them by considering them under BCs? Muslims are getting reservation under Category 1 and 2A also, apart from the 4% under 2B. My suggestion is that we can give this reservation to the Lingayats and Vokkaligas,” he said.
Whether Bellad’s suggestion or the announcement on digging into EWS quota, the road ahead is likely to be long and legally rocky.
“They (the BJP government) are just confusing the voters,” said Dr CS Dwarakanath, former Chairman of the Backward Classes Commission, Karnataka. “There is no difference between 3A and 3B and 2C and 2D. It is just eyewash. The EWS quota was brought in by a Constitutional Amendment so a state government cannot dig into it. Plus it is a quota for economic backwardness, not for social backwardness. How can they mix the two? It is impossible for the state to do this. The EWS Amendment itself states that those who come under other reservation cannot avail of EWS quota. This will not stand in a court of law,” he said.
Whether Panchamasali Lingayats and Vokkaligas get more quota or not, both communities have now formally been pushed into Category 2 from Category 3. And this is a sentimental shift that both communities, especially the Panchamasalis, are likely to appreciate.
By Sandhya Ravishankar