Andhra: Jagan Reddy Government Pushes For Including 'Dalit Christians' In Scheduled Castes List
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan ReddyThe Andhra Pradesh government has passed a resolution in the state legislative assembly to include the Boya or Valmiki community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list, after Telangana did it over a month prior.
The Andhra Assembly also passed a resolution urging the Union government to include Dalit Christians in the Scheduled Castes (SC) list.
Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed his view that the mere act of converting to another religion does not automatically improve the social and economic status of people.
After the resolution to include Valmikis in the ST category was passed, Reddy reassured other tribal groups in the state that the existing quotas won't be affected by this move.
STs enjoy 6 per cent reservation in Andhra.
The Chief Minister said that the resolution came from a promise he had made to the Valmiki community during his padayatra before coming to power in May 2019.
The Telangana Assembly had passed a resolution urging the Centre to add Valmiki Boyas to the ST list on 10 February.
The recommendation, made by a commission of enquiry for STs and accepted by the state government in 2016, included other caste groups such as Pedda Boyas, Khaiti Lambadas, Kiratakas, Nishadis, and more.
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.
