The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Hallikaras, Nadars seek OBC status

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Saturday, Nov 18, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Hallikaras, Nadars seek OBC status

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) on Friday heard submissions from two communities of Karnataka — Hallikara and Nadar — seeking inclusion into the Central list of Other Backward Classes (OBC).

At a public hearing, representatives of two Hallikara associations — Karnataka Hallikarara Sangha and Hallikarara Yuva Vedike — submitted that the people of the community lived in drought-hit areas and were mostly cattle rearers, small farmers or landless farm workers. The community, with a population of 48,000 in Karnataka, was educationally backward and had no political representation.

Making a submission on behalf of Karnataka Nadar Social Welfare Association, association president S.K. Murugesh said that about 50,000 members of the community had migrated to Karnataka from Tamil Nadu 80 years ago and lived in and around Bangalore district. Most of them were small-time vendors of sweets.

Nadar community was similar to that of Idiga and Ezhava communities, which were already categories under OBC list, he said.

Nadars figured in the OBC list of Karnataka and should be included in the Central list, he said. The submissions were heard by Justice S. Ratnavel Pandian, Chairperson, and S.K. Purkayastha, Member-Secretary, NCBC.

The submissions would be reviewed by the NCBC panel in Delhi.

It may be mentioned here that a Chairperson is yet to be appointed to the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission, a post that had been vacant since March.

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