Community leaders call for active participation in survey

Upholding the imminent Social, Educational and Economic Survey in the state as a "good move" to know the actual socio-economic status of different communities, Chalavadi community leaders called upon the community members to actively participate in the survey and mention only their caste Chalawadi alone.

Addressing a media conference at Reporters’ Guild here on Monday, Chalavadi Narayana Swamy, a community leader and Chairman of Karnataka State Forest Development Board, said that the survey would help the government know the social, educational, economic conditions of communities and better design focussed welfare programmes.

“The Chalavadi community members are known by 40 different names in different regions. All the names are synonyms to Chalavadi and we therefore appeal the community members to mention their caste as Chalavadi alone so that the numerical size of the community could also be ascertained,” he said.

Converted Dalits

Mr. Swamy opposed extending the same reservation facilities that scheduled castes enjoy to those who had converted from different scheduled castes to Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and other religious faiths.

“One choosing and following a religious one wants is one’s own unquestionable right. A person however once converted from a scheduled caste to other religion would no longer remain as scheduled caste person and hence cannot claim reservation and other facilities offered to scheduled castes. Therefore, the community members will have to carefully choose their religious and caste identity during the Survey,” he said.

Sadashiva Report

Though Mr. Swamy claimed that he neither supports nor opposes Justice A.J. Sadashiva panel report that recommended internal reservation to communities categorised under Scheduled Castes, he essentially opposed the report and the recommendations.

“It was a random survey and hence cannot represent actual status. It would be improper to recommend for internal reservations among Scheduled Castes without knowing the actual conditions of each community and its numerical size in comparison with others,” he said. However, he said that he would welcome the internal reservation if it would be felt after analysing the data of the Survey.

He denounced the ongoing campaign for a Dalit Chief Minister by stating that it was a systematic conspiracy by anti-Siddaramaiah camp supported by opposition parties.