The Hindu : `Vocal' section of BCs cornering benefits?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 19, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

`Vocal' section of BCs cornering benefits?

By M. Malleswara Rao

Hyderabad June 18. The more backward among the backward castes are to remain behind for ever? The Government seems to have given this message more clearly than ever by announcing the same old methodology for conferring benefits on BCs under the `one crore boons' programme adopted recently.

The methodology is a `grave mistake' and it is being repeated now, according to representatives of the underprivileged among the BCs. When it is the question of BCs, the Government once again named a few `dominant and vocal sections' among them for sops as if to mean that they only constitute BC population, and thus leaving out the majority of the 93 listed BCs who have not yet reached even the fringes of development.

There is a growing feeling among the weaker sections among the BCs that the Rs. 228-crore worth BC component in the programme may not reach them at all, let alone helping them. The official list of BCs contains such poorest and socially-stigmatised castes as Pitchiguntla, Pamula, Pambala, Katipapala, Valmiki, Veeramushti, Krishna Balija, Boya, Devanga, Chattadi Srivasishnava, Parika, Dudekula, Bhatraju, Arekatika but the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, appears to have taken the beaten track by announcing schemes or more releases for the already covered sections and without saying a word for the aforesaid groups which really wallow in abject poverty.

A striking aspect is that the boons and schemes have been again announced for the `vocal and dominant sections' which are already well off in terms of education, social background, manual labour and women not coming out for work, the official criteria chosen for measuring backward status of a caste. Further, these communities have their own regular corporations/agencies through which self-employment schemes are being implemented out of the budget such as the APCO/Handlooms Department, cooperative federations of toddy tappers and nayee brahmins etc. The weavers, in particular, have separate budgets both at Central and State level and several schemes worth crores.

The plight of more backward castes which are mostly wandering communities is such that Krishna Balija women still go out with headload bundles of clothes for earning day's bread. Medaris give baskets and mats to society but because they have no organised efforts, they are ignored. At the most, Vadders are being given crowbars and spades whose cost is a `pittance' and not loans for setting up crushers. The Chattadi Srivaishnavas who do service by preaching about God and giving ayurvedic medicine, have no specific schemes. Then, there are Surabhis who successfully retained the ancient art of drama but where are they now? Don't they deserve something from the Government?

BC leaders also point out that these smaller castes also suffered under their ABCD categorisation as the stronger ones were placed in `A' category for reservation which means they get the benefit first.

R. Krishnaiah, president, AP BC Welfare Association, when contacted, demanded immediate rectification of `the injustice'. Majority of the 93 castes do not come under the Adarana scheme but the Government is complacent that its `conventional list' is covered. The majority do not fit into the seven occupational groups finalised by the Government this time also for loan/modern tools. As a result, the weak will be left out this time also.

B. Baburao Verma, former Commissioner for BC welfare, who served the BC Commission, strongly feels that the Adarana programme suffers from flaws like this and called for rectifying the same before huge amounts are spent.

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