Karnataka Community Groups to Stage Major Protest Over Reservation System
The Karnataka Meesalati Samrakshana Vakkoot (KMSV) has announced a significant state-level protest scheduled for Tuesday at Freedom Park in Bengaluru. The demonstration is organized to voice strong opposition against the internal reservation roster system currently in place. Protestors are demanding that all future recruitment processes revert to the older, established reservation framework that was previously utilized.
Demands for Fair Treatment and Constitutional Safeguards
Addressing the media in Belagavi on Friday, KMSV district president Ravi Poojari outlined the core objectives of the protest. He emphasized that the action aims to prevent perceived injustices against specific communities, including the Koncha, Korama, and Bhovi groups, which he claims are adversely affected by the internal reservation policies.
Poojari expressed approval of the state government's recent announcement that recruitment and educational admissions will continue under the old 50% reservation rule. He urged authorities to issue recruitment notifications without any further delays to implement this decision promptly.
Call for Central Government Intervention and Constitutional Amendments
The KMSV leader called on the state government to exert pressure on the Central government to include the order that increases reservation quotas for Scheduled Castes (SC) to 174 and Scheduled Tribes (ST) to 70 in the Ninth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. This move would provide these increased quotas with stronger legal protection against judicial review.
Poojari proposed that a delegation should meet with the Prime Minister to advocate for this constitutional amendment. He reiterated the necessity of persistent efforts to convince the Central government to address this critical issue affecting reservation policies in Karnataka.
Demands for Transparency and Community Consultation
Poojari stressed that no unilateral decisions should be made regarding internal reservation distribution until comprehensive nationwide census data is received and thoroughly analyzed. He insisted that meaningful consultations must be conducted with community leaders before any implementation of new reservation frameworks within the state.
The KMSV has put forth several specific demands, including:
- Cancellation of recruitment notifications that have already been issued under the current system
- Withdrawal of certificates categorized as A, B, and C
- Reconsideration and acceptance of old caste certificates for reservation purposes
Legal Reforms and Data Disclosure Requirements
Poojari further demanded amendments to existing laws to prevent the diversion of Scheduled Tribe Promotions (STP) reserved specifically for Scheduled Tribes. He called for the release of comprehensive data and detailed findings from the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission review, organized taluk-wise to ensure transparency and accountability in the reservation allocation process.
The media briefing in Belagavi was attended by several KMSV representatives, including Rajesh Pawar, KS Mamadapure, Avinash Khanapure, and Raju Vaddar, who collectively endorsed the protest's objectives and demands.
