Children of this nomadic SC camp study under streetlights in neighbouring locality

A cluster of tenements built with wooden poles and plastic sheets can be seen off the Shivamogga ring road. These are the dwellings of microscopic, nomadic communities that have settled here for decades. Around 150 people belonging to Sindhollu, Sudagadu Sidda and Shillekyatha communities live in the area, which has no electricity or toilets.

While children are preparing to go to school, the elderly are leaving the camp to earn their living. While some of them, especially women, collect plastic waste materials thrown into public areas, some of them collect stationery, ornaments, kitchen utensils, etc. He goes around selling it. Only a few continue to seek alms, wearing traditional clothes as they traditionally do. Only two people in this settlement have stepped into diploma colleges in recent years. Nobody has a job with a regular income.

School children in the camp study under the street lamps in the neighboring neighborhood. When it gets dark, they turn on lamps or battery-powered lights. They depend on a shopkeeper in the neighboring area to charge their mobile phones and batteries. The shop owner charges ₹5 to charge the mobile phone for a while.

No toilet

Saritha, a resident of the neighborhood, said, “The biggest problem is the lack of toilets. We all, especially women, face great difficulties. We have been demanding toilets for all these years.”

View of the migrant camp at the foothills of Shivamogga. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL EDITING

Four residents from the camp were in Bengaluru recently to join protests by nomadic communities against the way internal reservations are being implemented. Residents are upset that the government did not take into account their plight while taking a decision on the recommendations of the Justice HN Nagamohan Das bench on domestic reservation.

According to Justice Nagamohan Das commission report, there are 36,431 Sudagadu Sidda, 45,989 Shillekyatha and 5,337 Sindhollu (Chindollu) in the state. According to the commission’s report, there are almost no civil servants from these communities. No one from the Sindhollu Chindollu community could enter government offices. There are 246 of the Sudagadu Siddas and 291 of the Shillekyathas in government services. Almost all of them are in either Group C or D jobs.

59 communities

The commission assessed the 59 most backward communities with a total population of 5.22 lakh and placed them in Category A. He suggested a 1% reservation for them. Community members hoped the government would implement the commission’s recommendation.

However, the government decided to merge 59 microscopic communities with “less backward” communities (Bhovis, Lambanis, Korama, Koracha) and set aside 5% reservation. As a result, they say, the “most backward” communities have had to fight with the “less backward” communities to benefit from reservation.

“This is like newly literate people competing with university professors,” commented Hussainappa, a camp resident. “Many people from Lambani, Bhovi, Korama and Koracha have become senior officers and university professors. But our children have just started going to school and studying under street lamps. How can we compete with them? This is a great injustice to society,” he added.

ongoing protests

From Monday, the Karnataka Asprushya Alemari Samudayagala Maha Okkoota (federation of nomadic communities) declared an indefinite dharna in New Delhi to protest the way internal reservation was implemented. Protests are also continuing in Bengaluru. Some activists tried to lay siege to Social Welfare Minister HC Mahadevappa’s house on Friday.