H.D. DEVEGOWDA is for caste based census

Speech in Lok Sabha on 6th May, 2010

Mr. Chairman, Sir, I would like to draw the attention of the House to some points. Some of our Members from the Treasury Benches mentioned about the Havanur Commission’s recommendations. In that period as Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka I moved a resolution. I will read resolution :

“Recommending to the Government of India to conduct caste-wise census of the people of the country.”

This is the resolution which I have moved in 1974 as the Leader of the Opposition. I do not want to go into the details of all the figures that he has quoted which I have quoted in my speech.

How many Governors belong to the upper castes? How many Chief Ministers belong to those castes? I have got all these figures here. I do not want to elaborate and take much time of the House. I would like to draw attention of the House to only one point.

Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi wanted to give constitutional teeth to the Panchayati Raj and the Nagarpalikas and the Local Bodies and to these institutions. But he was unable to get two-third majority and the legislations were defeated. During the time of late Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments were brought and they were adopted, passed by both the Houses. But before passing these two amendments, I was also included in one of the Joint Parliamentary Committees and in that Joint Parliamentary Committee we were unable to come to a unanimous decision so far as the backward classes are concerned. It was because of the recommendations made by Dr. Khalidkar and various other State-level Backward Class Commissions.

There, there were differences among the Members in the Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Then we took a decision in the Committee that the reservation, so far as the backward classes are concerned, can be left to the States so far as reserving theconstituencies for the castes which were carved so far as the Panchayat Raj system was concerned.

Sir, the only problem at that time was that we did not have Census figures. That was the reason for which we were unable to come to a unanimous decision so far as Joint Parliamentary Committee was concerned. Subsequently, in Karnataka, we have taken certain decisions. As the seniormost leader Shri Gurudas Dasgupta has said, we have taken the decision in Karnataka about dalit Christians and minorities. Shri Moily is also here. He knows that Karnataka has formulated it. Of course, we cannot overrule the decision of the Supreme Court and we cannot exceed reservation for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes beyond 50 per cent. So, we have categorised them. I would like to read that reservation list, which is within the ambit of the decision of the Supreme Court. It is general merit – 50 per cent; Scheduled Caste – 15 per cent; Scheduled Tribe – 3 per cent; Category I – 4 per cent; Category IIA – 15 per cent; and Category IIB – 4 per cent which is exclusively for Muslims. Since Muslim population in Karnataka is hardly 10 per cent, we created a separate compartment and gave 4 per cent reservation to them in 1995. Category IIIA belongs to my own community, which is given 4 per cent reservation. There is not only Vokkaliga community, but 23 other communities also clubbed in it, and Lingayats are given 5 per cent reservation. I do not want to go into all these details of the exercise we made.

When the Deputy Leader of the BJP was speaking, I was hearing. So far as the decision of the Supreme Court limiting the reservation to 50 per cent is concerned, it is very difficult to accommodate all these communities. There are various communities I know of and I can quote the number of communities which we have dealt with in the Havanur Commission on Backward Classes. He had gone very extensively into it, much more than all the previous Commissions. The Havanur Commission made a very deep study of that. He is no more now. That is why, this House may have to take a decision reversing the decision of the Supreme Court which limits the reservation. The House in its wisdom can allow it to exceed more than 50 per cent. Otherwise, we are not going to do justice to those neglected communities. Unless and until, as he said, poverty is eradicated, social disparity or injustice will continue. As long as we allow this injustice to continue, we cannot provide what is called peace and harmony in the society. This is my honest opinion. You can deliberate more on this and have more discussion on this. Peace and harmony comes only when we completely eradicate poverty and there is 100 per cent literacy. Only then, it can be achieved; otherwise we cannot achieve it.

Sir, I wholeheartedly support the leaders. We have done everything for them, including the Muslims and the women. Shri Moily is here. We have given 33 per cent reservation to women. From primary education to university education, 50 per cent of all the teaching posts are reserved for women, whether it is the post of Professor, Assistant Professor or ordinary teacher. We are all talking of women empowerment today. There is 33 per cent reservation in all posts. Article 15(4) … (Interruptions) Yes, it is there in Karnataka. There is nothing new in it.

Our seniormost leader, Dr. Kalaignar had once said that he would have to adopt Karnataka model. I know that. I am telling this because Karnataka has shown that and tried to bring it within the purview of 50 per cent ceiling of reservation, especially the reservation for women. Not only that, the posts of Chairperson are also reserved for them. The post of Chairperson or Chairman or Deputy Chairman in Zila Panchayat, Taluka Panchayat, Gram Panchayat on rotation basis goes to backward classes, the Scheduled Caste, the Scheduled Tribe and then the so-called general category.

All these things are going on for the last 15 years. More than 8,000 and odd engineers of the Muslim community are qualified and they are working in various countries and nearly 1,400 doctors are there so far as the Muslim community is concerned. I am only giving a couple of information to this august House, namely,as to what benefit has been given to the Muslim minority in Karnataka in the last 15 years. It is more than 8,000 engineers and nearly 1,400 doctors.I would like to express my sincere thanks to you for allowing me some time, on behalf of my Party, to express my views. Thank you very much, Sir.