ST quota must be increased if Kurubas included in ST list: CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru, Oct 6 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the Scheduled Tribes reservation quota must be increased if Kurubas are included in the ST list.

Speaking after distributing Valmiki Awards at the Valmiki Jayanti programme held in the Vidhana Soudha here, he also said he would consider the demand for including lessons on Maharshi Valmiki and Ramayana in the school curriculum.

“If Kurubas are included in the ST list, the ST reservation quota must be increased accordingly. I support and agree with that,” the Chief Minister said in his address.

“No one should put their hand into another’s food plate, and no one should snatch away another’s opportunities. That is my commitment.” The Chief Minister told the gathering that when J H Patel was the Chief Minister, recommendations were made to the Centre to include several communities, including the Bestha community, in the ST list but it has not materialised yet.

Siddaramaiah also assured that former MP V S Ugrappa’s demand to include lessons about Valmiki and the Ramayana in the curriculum would be positively considered.

“Valmiki, who belonged to the Valmiki community that was once deprived of scriptural knowledge, became a great world-renowned sage and composed the magnificent epic Ramayana. Therefore, every member of the community must give top priority to education,” he said.

The CM said it was not wrong to obtain the rights and opportunities your community deserves through organisation and struggle,” he noted. PTI GMS GMS ROH