In recent news, a sweeping rally was held by the Kuruba community, which called upon the Karnataka state government to urge the Centre for inclusion of the community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list. This article explores the background behind their claims, important aspects about the Kurubas, and related developments.
Understanding the Kuruba Community’s Historical Status
Historically, post Independence, the Kuruba community had been enjoying the ST status. This changed in 1977 when Justice LG Havanur, who was leading the backward class commission at that time, shifted the Kurubas into the ‘most backward classes’ category from the ST list. However, the Commission also introduced an area restriction stating that those residing in Bidar, Yadgir, Kalaburagi, and Madikeri with Kuruba synonyms could continue to avail the ST benefits.
About the Kuruba Community
Hailing from Karnataka, the Kurubas are characteristically known as a traditional sheep rearing community. Currently, the Kurubas form 9.3% of the state’s population, categorizing themselves under the backward classes category. The community stands as the fourth largest caste in Karnataka, positioned after Lingayats, Vokkaligas, and Muslims. It should be noted that the Kurubas are recognized by different names across several states such as Dhangars in Maharashtra, Rabaris or Raikas in Gujarat, Dewasis in Rajasthan, and Gadarias in Haryana.
Parallel Developments: Demands by Lingayat Community
Three years ago, the Lingayat community put forth a demand for a separate minority religion tag in Karnataka. Moreover, the Lingayat sub-sect Panchamasali pleaded for its inclusion in the 2A category of backward classes, which presently provides 15% reservations for backward castes.
Justice HN Nagamohan Das Commission’s Role in Reservation Quota
The Justice HN Nagamohan Das Commission was established to contemplate on raising the existing reservation for SCs from 15% to 17% and for the STs from 3% to 7% without surpassing the overall 50% reservation quota as stipulated by the Supreme Court’s 1992 order. If Kurubas are to be acknowledged as ST as per their request, an equivalent increase in the quota for STs would be obligatory.
The Challenge: The 50% Cap on Reservation
The vital challenge here is that Karnataka has already reached the apex court set 50% cap on reservation. Any further increase could pose serious issues.
Current Reservation Quota in Karnataka
In accordance with the Supreme Court’s 1992 order, Karnataka has set a reservation limit at 50%. Of this, 32% has been reserved for backward classes such as Muslims, Christians, Jains, 15% for SCs and 3% for STs. This reservation quota is further divided into seven categories.
Decoding the Term “Scheduled Tribe”
According to Article 366 (25) of the Constitution, Scheduled Tribes refer to those communities scheduled by Article 342 of the Constitution. This implies that only those communities declared as such by the President through a public notification or via an amending Act of Parliament will be regarded as Scheduled Tribes.
This is not a standard term across different states or UTs, meaning a community declared ST in one State may not be recognized as such in another state.
Defining Characteristics of Scheduled Tribes
The Constitution has not clearly defined the criteria for a community to be specified as a Scheduled Tribe. Some outstanding traits, however, that differentiate them from other communities include their primal lifestyle, geographical isolation, hesitance to socialize, and social, economic, and educational backwardness.
Introduction to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups
Within STs, there are 75 tribes known as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). These communities are characterized by a pre-agriculture level of technology, stagnant or declining population, incredibly low literacy rate, and a subsistence-level economy.