Image used for representational purpose only. (Express Illustrations)
BENGALURU: The state government’s attempt to increase the percentage of reservation for Lingayats and Vokkaligas by scrapping the 4 per cent quota for Muslims under the 2B (religious minorities) category in Other Backward Classes has led to insecurity and confusion among the community members.
Now, as per Friday’s Cabinet decision, the 2B category is scrapped and Muslims are granted quota under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS). The Muslims are now questioning whether they will be left with a smaller quota now under the EWS category.
While experts point out that the 2B quota for Muslims was specifically for those socially and educationally backwards in the community, the EWS quota specifies it is only for economically weaker sections.
CS Dwarakanath, former chairman of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, told The New Indian Express that in Karnataka (including the then state of Mysore), many reports — by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, Havanoor or the Justice Chinnappa Reddy — considered Muslims as a “religious backward class” and not just as a “religion” for reservation.
‘Muslims should not be worried’
Dwarakanath said during the hearing in the Indira Sawhney case hearing, the Supreme Court had said that whenever the government wants to remove or add any community, there should be empirical data on that community. “But the government does not have such data, and there is no clarity,” he added.
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Law Minister JC Madhu Swamy said all these years, Muslims were given quota under a category (2B), which is not meant for one particular religion. “We have rectified it. In Karnataka, 97% of the communities/castes have reservations. EWS quota is meant only for those who are not in any of these reservation brackets. Muslims should not be worried as they are getting a bigger quota as hardly a 3% of the population in Karnataka is eligible to get the 10% EWS quota,” he said.
Congress leaders said they are getting ready to question the government’s quota decision in court, saying if they come back to power, they will reverse this cabinet decision. KPCC working president Saleem Ahmed said Muslims were given the quota privilege since the early 1990s. “Muslims now have to fight with other castes under the EWS category. We will not allow this and will definitely go to court,” he said. The Cabinet decision has to be sent to the Union government for approval.
