MLA seeks ST certificate to Nayaka community members

Mysuru: The birth anniversary of Adi Kavi Valmiki, revered as the first poet of Sanskrit literature, was celebrated in city yesterday.

Valmiki was a great sage and author of the epic Ramayana which consists of 24,000 verses and 7 cantos (Kandas). Though it is difficult to define the exact timings of his birth, it is celebrated on Ashwin Poornima as per Hindu lunar calendar.

At a stage programme in Kalamandira after a colourful procession, Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Devegowda said that the government must take steps to distribute Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates to the members of Nayaka community. “This way, we can stop the harassment meted out to the community,” he opined.

“Nayaka community members are being harassed as they do not have valid Scheduled Tribe certificates and this has caused a lot of heartburn among the community members. The Deputy Commissioner must order all the officers to issue such certificates to the community members,” he said.

Recalling the contributions of former Chief Ministers D. Devaraj Urs and H.D. Deve Gowda (also a former PM) to the welfare of Nayaka community, GTD said that with their efforts, there has been a social revolution where Nayakas got recognition. “As a result of their efforts, there are 15 MLAs and  2 MPs from the Nayaka community,” he said.

When H.D. Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister, he set up an exclusive Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited and sanctioned land for Valmiki Gurupeetha at Rajanahalli, he said. He added that Kumaraswamy had also ordered all Government Departments to reserve 23 percent grants for the Nayaka community.