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Tribal coalition to seek formalisation of internal ST quotas
Tribal groups in Karnataka demand a commission for internal reservations among Scheduled Tribes, citing lack of representation and benefits.
A coalition of organisations representing the state’s tribal and nomadic communities on Tuesday arrived at a decision to press the state government to establish a commission dedicated to providing internal reservation among scheduled tribes (STs), even as the state prepares legislation to formalise internal reservations within scheduled castes (SCs).
In a meeting called towards that end at Gandhi Bhavan, former Backward Classes Commission chairman CS Dwarkanath said that despite the existence of 15 assembly and three Lok Sabha constituencies reserved for STs, none of the state’s 49 tribal communities had meaningful representation in the corridors of power. “These communities are economically, socially and politically backward,” he said, adding that internal divisions had worsened their vulnerability.
“There is a lack of leadership and unity in these communities...Their number is only 10,000 to 50,000, and the appeal for a separate struggle has not reached the government,” he said.
Dwarkanath alleged that people from urban areas were obtaining caste certificates under tribal categories, denying those genuinely entitled to reservation benefits. “Internal reservation is the only solution to ensure that benefits reach those who deserve them,” he said, to the agreement of all those present, which included representatives from the Karnataka Nomadic Hawker Tribe Protection Committee, Karnataka State Nomadic Tribe Mahasabha, Karnataka Adivasi Rakshana Parishad, and Pardhi Harana Shikari Sangha.
Meanwhile, under growing pressure from Dalit Left organisations to act on long-pending demands, the Karnataka government is preparing to introduce The Karnataka Scheduled Castes (Sub-classification) Bill, 2025 in the upcoming winter session of the legislature.According to officials, the Bill seeks to provide legal backing for internal reservation among 101 Scheduled Castes divided into three groups.
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