Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday reportedly assured his fellow Kuruba community leaders that he would make honest attempts to include them under Scheduled Tribes by recommending this to the ST National Commission soon.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Halumatha Maha Sabha president Rudranna Galgali said, “Ours is a community that is essentially tribal and fulfils all the norms of being a tribe, prescribed by the National ST Commission. Therefore, our primary demand is that the state government must take steps to include Kurubas in the ST category.”
According to him, the Chief Minister responded positively saying once the caste census data was out in the open, the state government would take steps to recommend the change of status to ST by appealing to the Union government for an amendment. Apart from this, Kuruba community representatives wanted the CM to declare August 15 (Independence Day) as Rayanna Mahotsva Divas as Kuruba icon Sangolli Rayanna was born on the day and January 26 (Republic Day) as Martyrs Day as he was hanged then.
