Adi Dravida forum demands internal reservation | Mangaluru News
Mangaluru: The Adi Dravida, which is one of the 101 sub-castes listed under the Scheduled Castes (SC) list, should not be excluded and must be given internal reservation, demanded the District Adi Dravida Coordination Committee. The forum has warned that if the caste is removed from the list, legal action will be taken.Speaking at a press conference in Mangaluru on Thursday, committee district president M Seena Masthikatte said that a request was already submitted to the chief minister and Justice HN Nagamohan Das Commission on behalf of the committee. They have assured that there is no question of removing the Adi Dravida sub-caste from the list. If the govt proceeds with such actions, a strong protest will be launched, he said.“For the past 75 years, the Adi Dravida caste was a sub-caste within the Scheduled Castes. If it is now removed from the list, students will be deprived of various benefits and educational opportunities provided by govt departments such as the Dr BR Ambedkar Development Corporation, the social welfare department, and local bodies like municipalities and panchayats. Govt employees will find it difficult to get promotions,” he added.The name Adi Dravida is included in the list of 101 sub-castes released by the President in 1950. According to Article 341 of the Constitution, 101 sub-castes are included under the Scheduled Castes, and they receive govt benefits as per the 15% reservation policy. “Recently, when members of our community applied to the Ambedkar Corporation, they were told that these benefits are not available to them, creating confusion,” said committee district vice-president Jagadish Pandeshwar.There are over 5 lakh Adi Dravidas in the state. If the govt removes the community from the Scheduled Caste sub-caste list, the community’s voters will boycott upcoming elections, he added.
