The Centre will soon constitute a committee on the categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SCs), according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We are committed to the categorisation of the SCs and will ensure lack of legal hurdles for the categorisation,’‘ Modi said while addressing a public meeting of Madigas, one of the prominent sub-castes of SCs, here on Saturday.

The announcement assumes significance at a time when a handful of States including Telangana are heading for the polls as the demand for SC categorisation has been long standing for the last 30 years.  “While the country had witnessed many governments since independence, the priority of our government is welfare of the poor and the down-trodden,’‘ Modi said.

Recalling the efforts of many leaders who fought for the welfare of the Dalits, the Prime Minister said he would also stand for the rights of the Scheduled Castes along with Manda Krishna Madiga, a leader of the Madigas in the Telugu States. 

‘Broken promises’

Many governments before 2014 `failed’ to keep promises made for the welfare of the Dalits, Modi said. 

Modi came down heavily on the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the State. It ‘forgot’ the promise of making a Dalit as the first chief minister of Telangana and the benefits of Dalit Bandhu were also going to the relatives of BRS leaders, he alleged, adding that the “irrigation schemes have become irrigation scams.”  

He said the Congress party was also ‘no different’ from BRS in following anti-Dalit policies. 

The large number of beneficiaries of the Centre’s schemes including Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) were Dalits and women, Modi said. 

Manda Krishna Madiga said the movement for SC categorisation was 30 years old and it was needed to ensure social justice for sub-castes of SCs and would help their empowerment through proper reservations in education and employment.

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