The Hindu : `Bring Kolis under Scheduled Tribe list'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 18, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Gulbarga

`Bring Kolis under Scheduled Tribe list'

By Our Special Correspondent

GULBARGA, JAN. 17. The Karnataka State Koli Samaj Jana Jagruti and Horata Samiti on Friday demanded that the Union Government include Koli community in the list of communities under Scheduled Tribes immediately.

Addressing a press conference here, the President of the Samiti, Vittal Heroor, said the issue of including the community in the Scheduled Tribe list had been hanging fire for several decades despite the Kaka Kalekar and Lokur National Backward Classes commissions recommending that the community should be included in the list. Even the High Court of Karnataka in one of its rulings said that Koli and Koya communities were one and the same and Koli community should be extended reservation facilities as enjoyed by Koya community.

Blaming the State Government for not providing details as demanded by the Centre for inclusion of Koli community in the Scheduled Tribe list, Mr. Heroor said the Union Government in 2000 sought some clarifications on the proposals submitted by the State Government to include Koli community in the list. However, the State Government had failed to provide the details to the Union Government before the deadline forcing the Union Government to write a letter to the State rejecting the proposal to include Koli community in the list. He said the community members in other North Indian States were enjoying the reservation facilities under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe tag, but here reservation facilities were being denied tot them due to the indifferent attitude of the State Government.

Mr. Heroor said the community, which had a sizeable population in the State, would launch a movement seeking the State Government to send another proposal to the Union Government with the required details for the inclusion of the community in the Scheduled Tribe list. Ministers visiting the district headquarters would be ghearoed for their indifferent attitude to the long-pending demand of the community.

He said though the community has been included in Category I of the Backward Class list in the State, the community members, particularly those belonging to Gulbarga district, were being denied benefits due to them in the field of education and employment. Students pursuing their higher education in Gulbarga University were being denied fee concessions and hostel facilities, he alleged.

Mr. Heroor said the Samiti would observe the Jayantotsava of Nijasharana Ambigara Chowdaiah, a 12th Century social reformer, in Gulbarga city on January 29. The former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (S) leader, H.D. Deve Gowda, would inaugurate the Jayantotsava. The President of the Akhila Bharata Koli Samaj, Ramnath Govind, the former Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, the Social Welfare Minister, A. Krishnappa, the KPSC member, K. Mukdappa, the former MP, Satyanarayan Pawar, Dhandrm Shandil, MP, Ramasingh Ratwa, MP, Dayabai Patel, MP, Krishna Kori, Kanshilal Charanchi, Ajit Bhai Patel, Anant Tahri, MLC from Maharashtra, Rotam Bhoopathi and Uttamchand Koli would participate in the Jayantotsava.

He said jyothis would be taken out from four places in the State and they converge in Gulbarga on January 29. The jyothis would be taken out in a procession, which would be flagged off by the President of the State Koli Samaj, R.B. Choudhari.

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`Bring Kolis under Scheduled Tribe list'