The Karnataka state government is reigniting efforts to incorporate the Kuruba sub-caste into the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list. This move has sparked opposition from the BJP, particularly because Chief Minister Siddaramaiah belongs to the Kuruba community.
The Kurubas, who are shepherds and the state’s third-largest community, are currently categorized as OBCs but have been advocating for ST status, which would grant them access to the state’s 7% quota.
The state’s ST welfare department is convening a meeting in Bengaluru on Tuesday to discuss this matter. The meeting will focus on establishing similarities between Kurubas in the Bidar, Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), and Yadgir districts and the Gonda community, which is already an ST. Recognizing these Kurubas as Gonda would qualify them for ST inclusion.
The BJP has criticized the government’s initiative, accusing CM Siddaramaiah of prioritizing his community’s interests. Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, the Opposition leader in the legislative council, alleges that integrating Kurubas with other STs would diminish the benefits for existing ST subgroups. BJP MLA Srivatsa claims the CM is now appeasing his own community after previously appeasing Muslims.
Currently, the ST list comprises 53 sub-castes, including Kadu Kurubas and Jenu Kurubas in Kodagu and Chamarajanagar, and Gonda Kuruba in Bidar.
According to SG Malagi, a Ballari-based expert on ST communities, the government’s current move could reignite long-standing demands from other OBC communities, such as Gollas, Uppars, Savitha Samaja, and Ganga Mathasthas, for their inclusion in the ST list.
The inclusion of sections of Kurubas into the ST category is expected to have political repercussions. There are 15 ST-reserved seats, and adding new communities could diminish the significance of traditional ST seats. Furthermore, dominant communities like the Kurubas could pose a political challenge to the Nayakas (Valmiki), who are currently the dominant ST members in Karnataka’s political landscape.
