Internal Reservation: A step forward, But at what cost?
The Siddaramaiah government has finally taken a long-pending decision on the question of internal reservation for Dalits, a subject that has sparked heated debates and created sharp divides within the community. In a special cabinet meeting on Tuesday, it was decided that the 17% reservation meant for Dalits will now be split into three parts: 6% each for the Left-Hand and Right-Hand groups, and 5% for non-untouchable and nomadic communities like Bhovi, Lambani, Koracha, and Korama.
This arrangement marks the end of a decades-long demand for sub-classification within Scheduled Castes. For now, the government appears to have struck a balance. The decision has been welcomed by leaders across communities, with many calling it a step that delivers social justice without causing injustice to any section. For Siddaramaiah, it is not only a political victory but also the fulfilment of a promise that had lingered for more than 30 years.
The debate over internal reservation gathered momentum after the Justice H. N. Nagamohan Das Commission submitted its report. The commission studied 101 Dalit sub-castes and placed them into five categories, recommending distribution of the 17% quota accordingly: 6% for Madigas and other castes facing extreme untouchability, 5% for Holeyas and similar groups, 4% for non-untouchables like Bhovis and Lambanis, and smaller shares for Adi Karnataka, Adi Andhra, and Adi Dravida.
It was this uneven split that triggered opposition. While Madigas welcomed the recommendation, the Holeyas felt shortchanged. Right-Hand leaders demanded that at least 1% from other categories be diverted to them. Nomadic groups, too, demanded a bigger share. The Siddaramaiah government found itself in the middle of a storm. A careless step could have led to protests across the state.
The cabinet initially struggled to build consensus. Opposition came even from within the party. But after multiple rounds of consultations, the government settled on a revised formula, consolidating the five categories into three, while trying to balance representation across subgroups.
Political and legal backdrop
The history of this demand goes back decades. Successive governments both BJP and Congress, spoke of internal reservation but failed to act. The Sadashiva Commission report was ignored by the BJP. Even Congress hesitated, fearing a backlash.
But the legal environment changed last year, when a seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court held that states have the power to introduce internal reservations for the most backward among SCs and STs. This gave a clear push to the demand. At the Congress’s AICC unity convention, Mallikarjun Kharge himself promised to implement it. Siddaramaiah has now delivered on that pledge.
While this decision seems to have resolved one longstanding issue, it also throws up troubling questions. Poet Akka Mahadevi once wrote, “Only those who have suffered can truly understand another’s suffering.” Ambedkar’s struggle too was rooted in this truth. But the bitter reality of today is that Dalit communities often fail to see each other’s suffering.
Instead of uniting against the structures of caste, subgroups have been locked in rivalries. Madigas accuse Holeyas of cornering benefits. Holeyas complain of bias against them. Nomadic groups feel left out altogether. These divisions have weakened Dalit unity, while upper castes have quietly strengthened their hold on power.
Take one example. Without facing the struggles Dalits have faced for decades, economically weaker sections among upper castes managed to secure 10% reservation. Dalits, meanwhile, are still fighting among themselves over how to share 17%. At the same time, government jobs are shrinking due to privatisation. Without extension of reservation to the private sector, even the most carefully designed formulas will mean little.
The perception that one subgroup has cornered more benefits than another may carry some truth. But the bigger truth is that Dalits as a whole remain underrepresented in education, employment, and positions of power. Fighting within only distracts from this larger injustice.
The Siddaramaiah government has made history by implementing internal reservation. But unless Dalit communities use this as a stepping stone towards unity, the decision will remain symbolic. The real danger lies in political forces using these divisions to further weaken Dalit power and representation.
The lesson is clear. Reservation is not just about percentages, it is about dignity, equality, and a fair share in the nation’s opportunities. For that, Dalits must look beyond internal rivalries and recognise the bigger battle that still lies ahead.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
