Telangana Congress plans massive public meetings with Kharge and Rahul on caste survey and SC sub-classification

(From Right) All Indian Congress Commission (AAICC) President Malikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition (LOP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi And Tellangana Chief Minister A. Revath Rdddy. File | Photo Credit: Kamal Kishore

The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) is meeting today to appreciate Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for undertaking a historic initiative by conducting a comprehensive caste survey and affirming to implement implementing sub-classification within the Scheduled Castes (SCs), a demand pending for decades and dominated the political landscape of Telangana and the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh.

A report on the caste survey was recently submitted to the State government and the Chief Minister made a statement on it during the special session of Legislative Assembly on Tuesday (February 4, 2025). Besides, Mr. Reddy presented the report on sub-classification of SCssubmitted by former High Court judge Justice Shameem Akhtar’s commission.

The MLAs and the MLCs are streaming to ensure these historic decisions are taken to the people in the right spirit giving them the confidence that the Congress stood for what it promised before the State Assembly elections-2023. Most importantly, achieving the same within 15 months of coming to power in the most turbulent political scenario where the opposition parties are targeting the government from day one.

The MLAs, most of them first-timers, see this move as a huge political tool for them to strengthen among these deprived sections. They remind that Telangana is the first State in the country to have taken up this exercise to ensure more equitable distribution of resources and representation among marginalized communities.

Acknowledging that the Congress party doesn’t always boast of its achievements unlike the regional parties or the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), the MLAs now want to impress upon the Chief Minister to organise massive rallies in the State inviting the All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge and its top leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal.

Venues and dates to be fixed

The venues and the dates would be fixed after consulting the party leadership in New Delhi but they feel this is an opportunity to explain to the marginalised communities the paradigm shift during Revanth Reddy’s government.

Speaking to The Hindu, the MLAs said no other State or the party had the conviction to take up this exercise. They argue that the government’s comprehensive caste survey and the subsequent sub-classification of SCs represent significant strides toward achieving social justice and equitable resource distribution within the State, a promise that was made and fulfilled within 15 months.

The government had constituted a dedicated Commission to determine the population of the Backward Classes in tune with the Supreme Court’s directions on caste surveys.

Similarly, a single-member Commission, led by Justice Shameem Akther, identified 59 sub-castes within the SC community. Based on the commission’s recommendations, the government plans to divide these into three groups to distribute the existing 15% SC reservation more equitably.

Demand for SC classification since 1997

The SC classification demand has dominated the Telugu states since 1997 when Manda Krishna Madigafounder of the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS), led the movement seeking more benefits for the Madiga and its sub-castes among the Scheduled Castes.