Karnataka   

Savita community's plea to panel

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, OCT. 27. At the public hearing organised by the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission here today, the Savita community pleaded for a change in their nomenclature from "Nayinda" which is listed in the II A category of the Backward Castes, and includes 27 sub-castes. The Karnataka Rajya Savitha Samaja wants the entire community to be listed as "most backward," under Category I.

More importantly, as B.V. Ramachandra, secretary of the samaja, put it, the word "hajama" must be deleted while referring to a member of this community. The plea was that the social stigma attached to being referred to as "hajama" lowered the self-esteem, apart from being regarded as the lowest rung of society and cheated of equal opportunities in education and employment. While the Nayindas were categorised as Scheduled Caste in some States, in Karnataka the community was included in the Backward Classes. Another irony was that their livelihood was at stake with the advent of technology and modern tools.

M.S. Muthuraj, the Rajyotsava award-winning barber who has shaved hundreds of celebrities, including Nelson Mandela, spoke for the entire community when he said that while it would be a good idea to change the name; it would be unrealistic to imagine that with it, progressive change was possible for the community. Along with the change of name, he said attitudes ought to change, and opportunities created for the community in education and employment.

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