Members of the Ballari district committee of the Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (Ambedkar Vaada) staged a protest in Ballari on Friday demanding withdrawal of textbooks revised by the Rohith Chakrathirtha-headed committee, continuance of the old syllabus and fulfilment of various demands.
In the memorandum submitted to the district administration, Durgappa Talwar, State committee member, and H. Husenappa, district convener, urged the government to withdraw the revised textbooks and distribute the textbooks revised by the Baraguru Ramachandrappa committee.
The samiti members said that the Special Component Plan (SCP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) funds allocated for students belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes should be utilised for the specific communities and should not be diverted.
The samiti demanded an amendment to the Karnataka State Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Land) Act, 1978. The protestors sought stern action against those obtaining fake caste certificates of Beda Jangama to avail benefits and reservations under Scheduled Castes for education and employment.
They accused successive governments of failing to implement the H.N. Nagamohan Das Committee report that recommends increase in reservation for the Scheduled Castes from the existing 15 percent to 17 percent and for Scheduled Tribes from 3 percent to 7 percent.
The other demands included regularisation of pourakarmikas working in urban local bodies across the State, clearing pending scholarship meant for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes student and improvement of basic amenities in their hostels.
