Panchamasali Lingayats, a sub-caste of the state’s dominant Lingayat community, have been demanding inclusion in Category 2A of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) for the past three years. The change will give them 15 per cent quota in government jobs and college admissions, as against the 5 per cent quota they currently get under Category 3B of Karnataka’s OBC quota matrix.
Panchamasali Lingayats’ Quota Demand
- Panchamasali Lingayats: The Lingayats, officially classified as the Hindu sub-caste ‘Veerashaiva Lingayats,’ are followers of the 12th-century philosopher-saint Basavanna.
- Basavanna initiated a radical anti-caste movement, advocating for a personal, affective relationship with God, specifically Lord Shiva, rejecting orthodox Hindu practices.
- The Lingayat community consists of various sub-castes, with the agriculturalist Panchamasalis being the largest, making up nearly 70% of the Lingayat population and approximately 14% of Karnataka’s total population.
Current OBC Quota Categories in Karnataka
- The demand for inclusion in Category 2A emerged prominently in 2020.
- Karnataka’s 32% OBC reservation in government jobs and educational institutions is divided among five categories.
- The Category 2A, which the Panchamasalis seek to join, includes 102 castes.
- The complex categorization aims to prevent dominant OBC groups from monopolising the quota benefits, ensuring equitable distribution based on relative marginalisation.
Earlier Steps By Government
- The previous state government attempted to placate the Panchamasalis by reallocating the 4% Muslim quota under Category 2B to the Vokkaligas and Lingayats, creating new Categories 2C and 2D.
- This increased the Lingayat quota from 5% to 7% and the Vokkaliga quota from 4% to 6%.
- However, the Panchamasalis insisted on inclusion in Category 2A, and the reallocation faced legal challenges.
Current Situation and Government’s Stance
- The government has been awaiting a legal resolution from the Supreme Court. The findings of the Karnataka Social, Economic, and Caste Survey, expected to impact future quota plans, are also pending.
- The state government might consider including all Lingayats in the central OBC list as a balancing act.
- Currently, only 16 Lingayat sub-castes who are considered “very backward” are provided reservations under the OBC quota for central government jobs and college administrations.