The protesters urged the government to consider their demand immediately.
The protesters urged the government to consider their demand immediately.
A large number of people took out a march in Mysore on Monday to press for inclusion of Veerashaiva-Lingayats in the Central List of Other Backward Castes (OBC). Veerashaiva-Lingayats gathered under the joint aegis of All India Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha and Basava Balagagala Okkuta at Basaveshwara Pratima Circle near JSS Mahavidyapeeth on Monday before leaving for a rally towards the Deputy Commissioner’s office.
The protesters marched from Chamaraja Double Road, Ramaswamy Circle and Jhansi Laxmi Bai Road before reaching the Deputy Commissioner’s office and submitted a memorandum for their demand.
Community leaders have complained that various sects of Veerashaiva-Lingayats have not been included in the central list of OBCs, even though the community has been educationally, economically and socially backward for several decades. The representations made in this regard have not yielded any result so far, he lamented. Apart from admission to prestigious educational institutions, the community has been denied several major central government jobs, including the civil service. The protesters urged the government to immediately consider their demands and take necessary action.
Similar protests were also held in Chamarajanagar where community members also complained about their exclusion from the central list of OBCs.