Muslim organisations in the State are planning to rope in outfits representing other backward classes (OBCs) to take forward an agitation against the “denial of reservation benefits” in the recruitment of officials to the proposed Kerala Administrative Service (KAS).
K. Kutty Ahmed Kutty, former Minister and convener, Minorities and Backward Classes Forum, told The Hindu on Sunday that discussions would be held soon with functionaries of the Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha (KPMS) and the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam.
He said the forum had the support of the Samvarana Samudaya Munnani led by V. Dinakaran, who represented the Akhila Kerala Dheevara Sabha, and Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan, chairman of the Vaikuntaswami Dharma Pracharanasabha, which represented the Nadar community.
“Leaders of over 60 most backward Hindu communities have offered support to us. They will hold a meeting soon, after which we will have joint deliberations,” Mr. Mr. Kutty said.
The government proposed to give reservation to the minorities and backward classes only in Category 1 of the KAS, which will be through direct recruitment. Under Category 2, officials will be appointed from regular employees or approved probationers in government departments. Under Category 3, those holding first gazetted post or above can be transferred or promoted. In both these cases, reservation rules are not applicable.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said that this was based on the advice of the Advocate General. He had also suggested a Constitutional amendment to help the poorest among forward castes eligible for reservation without diluting the quota for Dalits and backward classes.
The decision to launch the agitation was taken at a meeting of the Muslim Coordination Committee, a body representing various Muslim organisations, in Kozhikode on Saturday. Participants, including IUML State president Panakkad Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal, pointed out that the alleged flouting of reservation benefits was an injustice meted out to the backward classes. It should be corrected.
They pointed out that the minuscule representation enjoyed by backward classes in government jobs was due to reservation. Government-appointed panels such as the one headed by retired judge K.K. Narendran had pointed out that even the mandatory level of reservation had not been ensured in government jobs, they added.
The committee is planning to hold a meeting of organisations representing backward and minority communities in Kozhikode to chalk out the future course of action. Representatives of the IUML, Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen, Jamaat-e-Islami, Wisdom Global Islamic Mission, Muslim Education Society, Muslim Service Society, among others, were present at the meeting.