Southern States
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Andhra Pradesh
Move to include Kapus in BCs' list opposed
By Our Special Correspondent
Hyderabad
Feb. 5.
The backward classes figuring in the State list opposed moves to include Kapus and its sub-castes like Balija, Telaga and Ontari in the national as well as State lists at a day-long public hearing held at the Sankshema Bhavan here on Tuesday by the National Commission on Backward Classes.
The proceedings were marked by chaotic scenes with shouting and counter-shouting by the representatives of Kapus and its sub-sects on one side and the entire bloc of listed backward classes on the other. At different stages, the Commission Chairman, B. L. Yadav, and the member-Secretary, C.T. Benjamin, had to intervene to pacify the groups exchanging heated words. From the Kapus' side, two MLAs, T. Trimurthulu and Jyothula Nehru, were present apart from leaders from a number of organisations, while those who argued against the inclusion of Kapus included R. Krishnaiah, president, AP BC Welfare Association, T. Bala Goud, former MP and president, AP BC Sangham, K. Kondal Rao, vice-president, Gouda Officers and Professionals Association, and P. Satyamurthy, a BC leader.
The Commission whose two members, M. S. Matharoo and B. M. Das, were also present along with the Principal Secretary for the State's BC Welfare Department, A. Raghothama Rao, the Commissioner, P. Sundar Kumar, and the Joint Secretary, J. Sudharani, also heard the views for and against the inclusion of Muslims in the national list and its sub-sects--Qureshi, Mevafarosh and Katika.
Basheeruddin Babukhan, former Minister, put forth an argument highlighting how Muslims, in general, were being discriminated against and edged out on the grounds that they were not in the Hindu caste fold but his proposal to include all of them "as a class'' was vehemently opposed by the same bloc of BC leaders.
The previous national commission also held a similar hearing in 1999 to consider the issue of Kapus but it left the scene without giving its final word on inclusion/rejection being replaced by the present commission which was constituted recently. At the State level, the State Commission on BCs headed by K. S. Puttaswamy, had also gone into the issue of Kapus, receiving petitions for and against their inclusion, and this panel is to submit its report before its term expires on March 31.
At today's hearing, the socio-economic survey conducted by Prof T. V. Han Rav at the instance of the State BC Commission was in focus with those arguing for inclusion of Kapus in the list citing it as one of the basis for their claim and with other groups disclaiming it saying that the survey suffered from major flaws apart from being "biased''.
On their part, the Kapu leaders also criticised the survey for giving Kapus and its sub-sects ranks from 39 to 55 while allotting ranks up to 20 even to forward castes like Brahmins. Be that as it may, the ranking from 39 to 55 also held a mirror to the backwardness from which the Kapus were suffering, they argued, pleading for their inclusion in the list.
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