Mysore/Mysuru: Former State Advocate General Prof. Ravivarma Kumar asserted that “It is an irony that those who had opposed Prof. L.G. Havanur Commission’s report on reservation and burnt the copies, are now demanding the quota for themselves.” 

He was speaking after releasing retired KAS Officer K.N. Lingappa’s book ‘Meesalaatiya Olanota’(an insight into reservation) at a programme organised by Abhiruchi Prakashana at Cauvery auditorium in KSOU campus in Muktagangothri here on Sunday.

Maintaining that 10 percent reservation announced for EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) by the Centre is very much against the ethos of social justice, Prof. Ravivarma Kumar, who is also a former Chairman of State Backward Classes Commission asserted that “Reservation was introduced to curtail brahminical influence and ensure social justice. Now, the Brahmins have got 10 percent reservation and there is a need to fight it.”

He further alleged that the quota is nothing but a hidden agenda to keep out SC/STs from the reservation bracket as far as possible. Hence the Supreme Court too has expressed its reservation over the EWS quota and has sought to know as to why other castes coming under economically weaker sections have been exempted from the reservation. Is it not disparity? the SC has asked. 

The ordinance related to the quota was passed in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha without discussing about its pros and cons. With this, the Centre has set a bad precedent of toppling the basic purpose of Constitution. None of the other backward classes took note of the nefarious intentions of the Centre. What’s worrying further is, those MPs elected on the basis of reservation also voted in favour of the EWS quota. What can be more ironical than this? wondered Prof. Ravivarma Kumar.

Earlier it was common to see Brahmins occupying all Government posts in the country. Especially, in Mysuru province too, Brahmins were occupying all the positions of the Government. Such was the belief that Brahmins belonged to a majority community.

However such a belief suffered a set back during the first population census held in 1872. Like nowadays, the census then was not restricted to head count. It was a detailed census with Britishers collating the details of all the citizens. Most importantly, information related to caste, education and job were all recorded during the census. When the census report was announced, Brahmins turned out to be minority in strength.

Caste omitted

Post independence, Brahmins rose to power and omitted caste related column from the census to check any chances of increase in reservation. Hence, when the population census was conducted in 1951, the said column was dropped from it.

The recent example is that of H. Kantharaj Commission’s report and no efforts are made to release the same. The upper castes are feared over the benefits enjoyed from becoming public, Prof. Ravivarma Kumar said.

How did Kharge vote?

Accusing the Centre of bulldozing the constitutional aspirations, Prof. Kumar wondered how AICC President M. Mallikarjun Kharge, who himself is a Dalit, voted in favour of the EWS’ Reservation Bill.

Stating that the Maharajas introduced reservation for the first time in the country in 1874, he said that  social justice based on the Indian Model, has been introduced in as many as 21 countries of the world, which itself shows how good our concept of social justice is.

He further said that India is ‘Vishwaguru’ (World leader) in social justice and the country has showed how a multi-cultural nation can survive and lead the world.

Senior Journalist D. Umapathy, former State Backward Classes Commission Chairman H. Kantharaj, University of Mysore faculty Prof. Muzaffar Assadi, author of the book K.N. Lingappa, publisher Abhiruchi Ganesh of Abhiruchi Prakashana and others were present.