26.01.2024.The Untouchables of India News.by Sivaji.26.9444917060.(W.App)8778789661.Tel.Follow in FB,X,WA,Insta...
Dalit girl assault case: Chennai police arrest DMK MLA’s son and daughter-in-law in Andhra Pradesh
Chennai Pallavaram DMK MLA Karunanidhi’s son and daughter-in-law who were absconding were arrested by a Special Police team near Andhra Pradesh on Thursday late evening. Steps are being taken to bring both of them to Chennai for investigation.
Written By: Ramkumar
Chennai: The special police team from the Greater Chennai police, arrested Pallavaram DMK MLA Karunanidhi’s son Anto Mathivanan, and his wife Marlina Ann who were on the run, for allegedly physically torturing their domestic help aged 18 from a house in Andhra Pradesh.
The arrest was made following the case registered at Neelangarai All Women Police Station under the Prevention of Atrocities Act and 5 sections of the Indian Penal Code for assaulting and harassing the 18-year-old Dalit girl who was employed at their house in Chennai. The brutality came to light through a video posted by the victim. She alleged she was subjected to torture and physical assault by DMK MLA’s son and daughter-in-law daily for the past few months. The girl, who secured 433 marks in her Class 12 exams, wanted to study medicine. She took up a job as she wanted to save money for NEET coaching.
After the police registered a case against them, both Anto Mathivanan and his wife Merlina went into hiding. Three special police teams were formed to nab them.
The 18-year-old woman, who complained of harassment and torture while being employed at the DMK MLA’s son in Neelankarai, was produced before the Government Royapettah Hospital for medical examination on Thursday.
Hospital authorities said, during examination, injuries were observed on her body.
Meanwhile, Anto Mathivanan and his wife Merlina filed a bail petition in the Madras High Court yesterday. In the petition, they have requested bail to be granted to them while surrendering to the Chennai Principal Sessions Court.
Courtesy : News Nine
தலித் சிறுமி தாக்கப்பட்ட வழக்கு: ஆந்திராவில் திமுக எம்எல்ஏவின் மகன் மற்றும் மருமகளை சென்னை போலீஸார் கைது செய்தனர்
தலைமறைவாக இருந்த சென்னை பல்லாவரம் திமுக எம்எல்ஏ கருணாநிதியின் மகன் மற்றும் மருமகளை ஆந்திர மாநிலம் அருகே சிறப்புக் காவல் குழு வியாழக்கிழமை மாலை கைது செய்தது. இருவரையும் சென்னை அழைத்து வந்து விசாரணை நடத்த நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது.
எழுதியவர்: ராம்குமார்
சென்னை: ஆந்திர மாநிலத்தில் உள்ள வீட்டில் பணிபுரியும் 18 வயது பெண்ணை உடல் ரீதியாக சித்ரவதை செய்ததாக, தப்பி ஓடிய பல்லாவரம் திமுக எம்எல்ஏ கருணாநிதியின் மகன் ஆண்டோ மதிவாணன் மற்றும் அவரது மனைவி மார்லினா ஆன் ஆகியோரை சென்னை தனிப்படை போலீஸார் கைது செய்தனர்.
சென்னையில் தங்கள் வீட்டில் வேலை பார்த்து வந்த 18 வயது தலித் பெண்ணை தாக்கி துன்புறுத்தியதாக நீலாங்கரை அனைத்து மகளிர் காவல் நிலையத்தில் வன்கொடுமை தடுப்புச் சட்டம் மற்றும் இந்திய தண்டனைச் சட்டத்தின் 5 பிரிவுகளின் கீழ் வழக்குப் பதிவு செய்யப்பட்டதைத் தொடர்ந்து கைது செய்யப்பட்டனர். பாதிக்கப்பட்ட பெண் வெளியிட்ட வீடியோ மூலம் இந்த கொடூரம் வெளிச்சத்திற்கு வந்தது. கடந்த சில மாதங்களாக தினந்தோறும் திமுக எம்எல்ஏவின் மகன் மற்றும் மருமகளால் சித்திரவதை மற்றும் உடல் ரீதியான தாக்குதலுக்கு உள்ளானதாக அவர் குற்றம் சாட்டினார். 12 ஆம் வகுப்பு தேர்வில் 433 மதிப்பெண்கள் பெற்ற சிறுமி, மருத்துவம் படிக்க விரும்பினார். நீட் பயிற்சிக்கான பணத்தை மிச்சப்படுத்த வேண்டும் என்று அவள் வேலைக்குச் சேர்ந்தாள்.
நீலாங்கரையில் திமுக எம்.எல்.ஏ.வின் மகனுக்கு வேலையில் இருந்தபோது துன்புறுத்தல் மற்றும் சித்திரவதை செய்ததாக புகார் அளித்த 18 வயது பெண், மருத்துவ பரிசோதனைக்காக ராயப்பேட்டை அரசு மருத்துவமனையில் வியாழக்கிழமை ஆஜர்படுத்தப்பட்டார்.
பரிசோதனையின் போது அவரது உடலில் காயங்கள் காணப்பட்டதாக மருத்துவமனை நிர்வாகம் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.
இந்நிலையில், ஆன்டோ மதிவாணனும், அவரது மனைவி மெர்லினாவும் நேற்று சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றத்தில் ஜாமீன் மனு தாக்கல் செய்தனர். அந்த மனுவில், சென்னை முதன்மை அமர்வு நீதிமன்றத்தில் சரணடைந்த நிலையில் தங்களுக்கு ஜாமீன் வழங்க வேண்டும் என்று கோரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளனர்.
நன்றி : நியூஸ் நைன்
Sivaji.UT News 2.....
Residential Segregation and Inequitable Access to Services of Dalit Muslims – Dalit, Muslim communities in India segregated as ‘black’ in America: Study Pi News
The gap in the country is not just between the rich and the poor. There is also a deep divide between Dalit settlements and general settlements. A similar disparity exists between Muslim settlements and general settlements. This gap is actually related to the access of objects to these settlements. These settlements are distinguished from general or core settlements because they are inhabited by a large number of people belonging to the same communities. Dalit settlements are predominantly Dalits and Muslim settlements are predominantly Muslim. This gap exists in both rural and urban areas. In such settlements, there is no access to even basic civic facilities such as schools. This was revealed in the research of Development Data Lab.
By Muhammad
The Development Data Lab has produced a report titled “Residential Segregation and Inequitable Access to Local Public Services in India”. Based on a study of 15 million homes. The report says it is not a current study and its assessment was done a decade ago. It said the data was collected at the contiguous household level at the national level covering the whole of India during 2011-13.
The authors of this study are: Sam Asher, founder of the Development Data Lab and a professor at Imperial College London, Paul Novosad, co-founder and professor at Dartmouth College, researcher Kritarth Jha, professor Anjali Adukiya of the University of Chicago, and Brandon Joll Tan.
Administrative data on 15 million urban and rural neighborhoods were used to derive this inequality index, the research report said. It was found that similar groups live in the neighborhoods of the city.
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT SETTLEMENTS FOR SCHEDULED CASTES, NAMELY DALITS, VARY IN URBAN AS WELL AS RURAL AREAS. FOR MUSLIMS, THIS ISOLATION IS EVEN WORSE IN URBAN AREAS.
“SC and Muslim communities are as segregated as black communities in American cities,” Paul Novosad, one of the authors of the study, wrote in the X collection.
He noted, “Muslims are more likely to live in neighborhoods with Muslim neighbors. 26% of urban Muslims live in neighborhoods where their neighbors are more than 80% Muslim. 17% of urban SCs live in neighborhoods with more than 80% SCs.” The situation is the same in rural areas.
What are the amenities in these areas?
Paul Novosad said: “Public services in cities are less in Scheduled Caste and Muslim dominated areas. Settlements with 100% Muslim neighbors are only half as likely to have a high school as non-Muslim settlements.
It further states: “When we look at SCs, localities with an average number of SC neighbors performed better, but localities with the highest number of SC households had higher secondary school was less likely.” He said a comparison was made between SC, Muslim and common neighborhood settlements within a city.
“We conducted such an analysis for a wide range of public services – primary schools, medical clinics, water and electricity infrastructure, closed drainage,” he says. According to him, the results were the same. Within cities, public services are very poor in areas with high SC and Muslim population.
According to the report, the condition of children is worse in Dalit and Muslim areas, which are completely isolated. The education of children in such settlements is less than one full year compared to normal settlements. Of the roughly 9-10 years of general education for 17-18-year-olds, children from all-Dalit settlements have about 1.6 years less education, and about 2.2 years less than children from all-Muslim settlements.
housing allocation and unequal access to services by Dalit Muslims – Satya Hindi
Developmental Information Lab
Paul Novosad said he does not study Scheduled Tribes because the paper focuses on urban areas and only 4% of Scheduled Tribes live in urban areas. On OBCs, he said, “Given the data we have, it has not been possible to identify neighborhoods that are predominantly OBCs.”
Courtesy : PI News.
Sivaji.UT news 3.(English and kannada)
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DALIT NEWS KARNATAKA NEWS STATE
After beating up a Dalit student in Karnataka, the saffron army chanted ‘Jayashree Ram’
Puber Pen, WebDesk: The day Ram Rajya was established in the country by the hand of the national leader! A day later, in another part of the country, saffron-clad Ram devotees beat up a Class 12 Dalit student and forced him to say Jai Shri Ram. The incident took place at the Hanuman temple in Humnavad, Bidar district of Karnataka. After the incident, the victimized Dalit student filed a complaint at the Humnabad police station.
According to police sources, a Dalit student studying in the 17th year of PU College in Humnabad said in his WhatsApp status a few days ago. BR Ambedkar posted a picture of Rama and Hanuman.
A case has been registered against the accused under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Further, relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 198 have also been added.
On the day of the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, tension arose in various parts of Karnataka. There are reports of stone pelting and clashes between two communities in Wadi town of Kalburgi district. After the incident, Section 144 was issued in the area till January 25. A day later, this incident happened with a Dalit student in Bidar.
Another untoward incident took place on January 22 at Kotnur village in Gulbarga district. There Dr. Unpleasant incidents have taken place, such as shoe garlands being placed on the statue of Bhimrao Ambedkar. Because of this, many Dalit organizations have protested strongly. Kalburgi Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Kanika Sikriwal visited the area to pacify the protesters and garlanded BR Ambedkar’s statue.
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ಥಳಿಸಿದ ಕೇಸರಿ ಸೇನೆ 'ಜಯಶ್ರೀರಾ
ಪ್ಯೂಬರ್ ಪೆನ್, ವೆಬ್ ಡೆಸ್ಕ್: ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರನಾಯಕನ ಕೈಯಿಂದ ದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಮರಾಜ್ಯ ಸ್ಥಾಪನೆಯಾದ ದಿನ! ಒಂದು ದಿನದ ನಂತರ, ದೇಶದ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ, ಕೇಸರಿ ಧರಿಸಿದ ರಾಮ ಭಕ್ತರು 12 ನೇ ತರಗತಿಯ ದಲಿತ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗೆ ಥಳಿಸಿ ಜೈ ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮ್ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳುವಂತೆ ಒತ್ತಾಯಿಸಿದರು. ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಬೀದರ್ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಹುಮನವಾಡದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಹನುಮಾನ್ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಘಟನೆ ನಡೆದಿದೆ. ಘಟನೆಯ ನಂತರ ಸಂತ್ರಸ್ತ ದಲಿತ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿ ಹುಮನಾಬಾದ್ ಪೊಲೀಸ್ ಠಾಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ದೂರು ದಾಖಲಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
ಪೊಲೀಸ್ ಮೂಲಗಳ ಪ್ರಕಾರ, ಹುಮನಾಬಾದ್ನ ಪಿಯು ಕಾಲೇಜಿನ 17 ನೇ ವರ್ಷದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದುತ್ತಿರುವ ದಲಿತ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಯು ಕೆಲವು ದಿನಗಳ ಹಿಂದೆ ತನ್ನ ವಾಟ್ಸಾಪ್ ಸ್ಟೇಟಸ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದಾನೆ. ಬಿಆರ್ ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ ಅವರು ರಾಮ ಮತ್ತು ಹನುಮಂತನ ಚಿತ್ರವನ್ನು ಪೋಸ್ಟ್ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
ಪೊಲೀಸರಿಗೆ ನೀಡಿರುವ ದೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ದಲಿತ ಯುವಕ, 'ಕಾಲೇಜಿನಿಂದ ಹಿಂತಿರುಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಗ ಏಕಾಏಕಿ ಕೆಲ ಯುವಕರು ರಸ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಂತಿದ್ದರು. ಅವರು ನನಗೆ ರಾಮ ಮತ್ತು ಹನುಮಂತರನ್ನು ಅವಮಾನಿಸುವ ಸ್ಥಾನವನ್ನು ನೀಡಿದ್ದೀರಿ. ಅವರಿಗೆ ನನ್ನ ಮಾತು ಕೇಳಲು ಇಷ್ಟವಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಕುಲ್ಲೂರು ಸೇತುವೆ ಬಳಿಯ ಹನುಮಾನ್ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನಕ್ಕೆ ಆಟೋರಿಕ್ಷಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಕರೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗಿದ್ದೆ. ಆಗ ಅವರು ನನಗೆ ಹೊಡೆದು ಜೈ ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮ್ ಹೇಳುವಂತೆ ಒತ್ತಾಯಿಸಿದರು. ಮತ್ತು ನಾನು ಕ್ಷಮೆ ಯಾಚಿಸಬೇಕು.'
ಆರೋಪಿಗಳ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಭಾರತೀಯ ದಂಡ ಸಂಹಿತೆಯ (ಐಪಿಸಿ) ವಿವಿಧ ಸೆಕ್ಷನ್ಗಳ ಅಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕರಣ ದಾಖಲಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಇದಲ್ಲದೆ, ಪರಿಶಿಷ್ಟ ಜಾತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಪಂಗಡಗಳ (ದೌರ್ಜನ್ಯ ತಡೆ) ಕಾಯಿದೆ 198 ರ ಸಂಬಂಧಿತ ವಿಭಾಗಗಳನ್ನು ಸಹ ಸೇರಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ.
ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಮಮಂದಿರ ಉದ್ಘಾಟನೆಯ ದಿನವೇ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ವಿವಿಧೆಡೆ ಉದ್ವಿಗ್ನ ವಾತಾವರಣ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಕಲಬುರ್ಗಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ವಾಡಿ ಪಟ್ಟಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡು ಕೋಮುಗಳ ನಡುವೆ ಕಲ್ಲು ತೂರಾಟ, ಘರ್ಷಣೆ ನಡೆದಿರುವ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ವರದಿಯಾಗಿದೆ. ಘಟನೆಯ ನಂತರ, ಜನವರಿ 25 ರವರೆಗೆ ಪ್ರದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಸೆಕ್ಷನ್ 144 ಜಾರಿ ಮಾಡಲಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಒಂದು ದಿನದ ನಂತರ, ಬೀದರ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ದಲಿತ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಯೊಂದಿಗೆ ಈ ಘಟನೆ ಸಂಭವಿಸಿದೆ.
ಗುಲ್ಬರ್ಗ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಕೋಟ್ನೂರು ಗ್ರಾಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಜನವರಿ 22 ರಂದು ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಅಹಿತಕರ ಘಟನೆ ನಡೆದಿದೆ. ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಭೀಮರಾವ್ ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆಗೆ ಶೂ ಹಾರ ಹಾಕಿದಂತಹ ಅಹಿತಕರ ಘಟನೆಗಳು ನಡೆದಿವೆ ಎಂದು ಡಾ. ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಹಲವು ದಲಿತ ಸಂಘಟನೆಗಳು ತೀವ್ರ ವಿರೋಧ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸಿವೆ. ಕಲಬುರ್ಗಿ ಉಪ ಪೊಲೀಸ್ ಆಯುಕ್ತ (ಕಾನೂನು ಮತ್ತು ಸುವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ) ಕನಿಕಾ ಸಿಕ್ರಿವಾಲ್ ಅವರು ಸ್ಥಳಕ್ಕೆ ಭೇಟಿ ನೀಡಿ ಪ್ರತಿಭಟನಾಕಾರರನ್ನು ಸಮಾಧಾನಪಡಿಸಿದರು ಮತ್ತು ಬಿಆರ್ ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ ಅವರ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆಗೆ ಮಾಲಾರ್ಪಣೆ ಮಾಡಿದರು.
ಕೃಪೆ : PiPa News
Sivaji..s....UT news 4.
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P B Varale Takes Oath as SC Judge, Apex Court to Now Have 3 Dalit Justices
The name of Justice Varale for the judgeship was cleared by the Centre on Wednesday.
Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P B Varale on Thursday took oath as a judge of the Supreme Court. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud administered the oath of office to Justice Varale in a function in the apex court premises in New Delhi.
The name of Justice Varale for the judgeship was cleared by the Centre on Wednesday. With the swearing in, the top court has attained its full strength of 34 judges, including the Chief Justice of India.
While recommending Justice Varale’s name earlier this month, the Supreme Court Collegium said it took into consideration the fact that he is among the senior-most high court judges and is the only HC chief justice from the Scheduled Caste.
He would become the third sitting apex court judge from a Scheduled Caste community. The others are Justices B R Gavai and C T Ravikumar.
Courtesy : News18
Sivaji.s.UT news.5.
The Madiga community, which constitutes over 50% of the Scheduled Caste (SC) population in Telangana, has long demanded sub-categorization of SCs. Their argument is that despite being the largest SC group numerically, they have been deprived of reservations and other government benefits meant for SCs. These benefits have disproportionately gone to the smaller but relatively advanced Mala community in Telangana.
Grievances of being left out
For decades, Madigas have raised grievances that they are excluded from availing reservations in education and jobs as well as other schemes meant for uplifting SCs. They allege that the Mala community with better social and economic standing has captured most government benefits. Madigas remain overwhelmingy backward.
The case for sub-quota
Madigas contend that sub-categorizing SCs with a separate quota for them will ensure fair access to entitlements proportional to their population. They argue that an umbrella SC quota without internal demarcations concentrates benefits in the hands of the advantaged Mala group. Several commissions have also supported sub-categorization.
Political promises
With their significant voting strength, Madiga demands gained traction ahead of the 2018 Telangana assembly elections. Major political parties promised corrective action if voted to power. Recently, Prime Minister Modi also promised to address Madiga concerns, giving fresh impetus.
The legal hurdle
While there is political recognition of Madiga grievances, legal complexities have prevented actualization of sub-quotas so far. With sub-categorization already implemented for SCs in some states stuck in litigation, time-bound resolutions remain elusive in Telangana too.
Past Efforts for Subclassification
Demands for subclassification of Scheduled Castes were raised by the Madiga community as early as 1994. This led the central government in 2005 to explore legal options for creating such subcategories.
The then Attorney General had opined that the Constitution could be amended to allow SC subclassification, but only if backed by irrefutable evidence of its necessity. He implied creating mechanisms to gather empirical data justifying it.
Still, even these Commissions acknowledged in 2005 that Articles 341 and 342 do not explicitly bar Parliament from subclassifying Scheduled Castes and Tribes in the notification lists. In fact, they noted Article 16(4) already enables states to create special provisions for any inadequately represented backward class.
So while legal opinions and past recommendations acknowledged the possibility of creating SC sub-categories, they emphasized first addressing on-ground benefit delivery failures over quota quotas. Robust empirical evidence was also underlined to establish claims of disadvantage faced by subgroups.
Focus beyond sub-quota now
Given the pending Supreme Court verdict on the constitutionality of SC sub-categorization itself, the Center has formed an high-level committee to find alternative ways of addressing Madiga deprivation. The committee will explore improved delivery of existing schemes rather than just sub-quotas.
About the High-Level Committee
The high-level ministerial committee, led by the Cabinet Secretary, aims to find ways to more fairly distribute the benefits of schemes and initiatives meant for marginalized Scheduled Caste (SC) communities. Over 1,200 SC communities exist, but certain dominant groups have cornered most benefits, leaving the most disadvantaged communities behind.
This committee was established after Prime Minister Modi’s December 2023 meeting, where he promised to address demands to subclassify SCs, raised by Telangana’s Madiga community ahead of state polls. While prompted by Madiga concerns, sources say the committee has a broader mandate of tackling similar exclusion across SC communities nationwide.
Strictly barred from considering SC quota sub-categories, the panel of top officials across ministries will explore alternative solutions, like better targeting of existing schemes, to reach left-out groups. It has been instructed to submit early findings.
The committee faces challenges in identifying eligible SCs, gauging their specific needs, and enhancing last-mile scheme delivery. Although not its defined scope, the panel could still formally opine on the viability of SC sub-classification for the government to consider, if required.
The key challenge is insufficient empirical data quantifying the specific socio-economic backwardness facing Madigas vis-à-vis Malas that can justify sub-categorization demands. Robust evidence on disproportionate access to reservations will strengthen the case.
తెలంగాణలో మాదిగ సంఘం సమస్య ఏమిటి?
తెలంగాణలో షెడ్యూల్డ్ కులాల (ఎస్సీ) జనాభాలో 50% పైగా ఉన్న మాదిగ సామాజికవర్గం ఎస్సీలను ఉప వర్గీకరించాలని చాలా కాలంగా డిమాండ్ చేస్తోంది. సంఖ్యాపరంగా అతిపెద్ద ఎస్సీ వర్గంగా ఉన్నప్పటికీ ఎస్సీలకు రావాల్సిన రిజర్వేషన్లు , ఇతర ప్రభుత్వ ప్రయోజనాలను దూరం చేశారన్నది వారి వాదన. ఈ ప్రయోజనాలు తెలంగాణలోని చిన్నదైన కానీ సాపేక్షంగా అభివృద్ధి చెందిన మాల సమాజానికి అసమానంగా అందాయి.
వదిలేశారనే మనోవేదనలు
విద్య, ఉద్యోగాల్లో రిజర్వేషన్లు, ఎస్సీల అభ్యున్నతి కోసం ఉద్దేశించిన ఇతర పథకాలను పొందకుండా తమను మినహాయించారని దశాబ్దాలుగా మాదిగలు ఆందోళనలు చేస్తున్నారు. మెరుగైన సామాజిక మరియు ఆర్థిక స్థితిగతులు ఉన్న మాల సమాజం చాలా ప్రభుత్వ ప్రయోజనాలను స్వాధీనం చేసుకున్నదని వారు ఆరోపించారు. మాదిగలు చాలా వెనుకబడి ఉన్నారు.
సబ్-కోటా కేసు
Madigas contend that sub-categorizing SCs with a separate quota for them will ensure fair access to entitlements proportional to their population. They argue that an umbrella SC quota without internal demarcations concentrates benefits in the hands of the advantaged Mala group. Several commissions have also supported sub-categorization.
Political promises
With their significant voting strength, Madiga demands gained traction ahead of the 2018 Telangana assembly elections. Major political parties promised corrective action if voted to power. Recently, Prime Minister Modi also promised to address Madiga concerns, giving fresh impetus.
The legal hurdle
While there is political recognition of Madiga grievances, legal complexities have prevented actualization of sub-quotas so far. With sub-categorization already implemented for SCs in some states stuck in litigation, time-bound resolutions remain elusive in Telangana too.
Past Efforts for Subclassification
Demands for subclassification of Scheduled Castes were raised by the Madiga community as early as 1994. This led the central government in 2005 to explore legal options for creating such subcategories.
The then Attorney General had opined that the Constitution could be amended to allow SC subclassification, but only if backed by irrefutable evidence of its necessity. He implied creating mechanisms to gather empirical data justifying it.
However, the National Commissions for Scheduled Castes and Tribes had opposed amending the Constitution back in 2005, arguing that simply earmarking quotas within quotas was inadequate. Ensuring existing benefits actually reach marginalized groups was more urgent per them.
Still, even these Commissions acknowledged in 2005 that Articles 341 and 342 do not explicitly bar Parliament from subclassifying Scheduled Castes and Tribes in the notification lists. In fact, they noted Article 16(4) already enables states to create special provisions for any inadequately represented backward class.
So while legal opinions and past recommendations acknowledged the possibility of creating SC sub-categories, they emphasized first addressing on-ground benefit delivery failures over quota quotas. Robust empirical evidence was also underlined to establish claims of disadvantage faced by subgroups.
Focus beyond sub-quota now
Given the pending Supreme Court verdict on the constitutionality of SC sub-categorization itself, the Center has formed an high-level committee to find alternative ways of addressing Madiga deprivation. The committee will explore improved delivery of existing schemes rather than just sub-quotas.
About the High-Level Committee
The high-level ministerial committee, led by the Cabinet Secretary, aims to find ways to more fairly distribute the benefits of schemes and initiatives meant for marginalized Scheduled Caste (SC) communities. Over 1,200 SC communities exist, but certain dominant groups have cornered most benefits, leaving the most disadvantaged communities behind.
This committee was established after Prime Minister Modi’s December 2023 meeting, where he promised to address demands to subclassify SCs, raised by Telangana’s Madiga community ahead of state polls. While prompted by Madiga concerns, sources say the committee has a broader mandate of tackling similar exclusion across SC communities nationwide.
Strictly barred from considering SC quota sub-categories, the panel of top officials across ministries will explore alternative solutions, like better targeting of existing schemes, to reach left-out groups. It has been instructed to submit early findings.
The committee faces challenges in identifying eligible SCs, gauging their specific needs, and enhancing last-mile scheme delivery. Although not its defined scope, the panel could still formally opine on the viability of SC sub-classification for the government to consider, if required.
The key challenge is insufficient empirical data quantifying the specific socio-economic backwardness facing Madigas vis-à-vis Malas that can justify sub-categorization demands. Robust evidence on disproportionate access to reservations will strengthen the case.
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