Fresh from the success of achieving his three-decade-long dream of seeing categorisation of the Scheduled Castes, Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS) founder Manda Krishna is clear in his vision that he is not going to join any political party and lose the chance of becoming the voice of voiceless Madigas and other downtrodden communities. “My voice will be stifled if join any political party. How can I toe their party line at the cost of fighting for my community,” the powerful Madiga leader said in a free wheeling interview to Ravi Reddy during his visit to The Hinduoffice.
Now that the Supreme Court has pronounced its verdict on long-pending categorisation of the Schedules Castes by the respective States, what is the future course of action of the MRPS
The Supreme Court verdict has been welcomed by some States and they have to implement it immediately. In South India — Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka governments — have welcomed the categorisatioon.
In Telangana the academic year is on and a number of job notifications are coming, so the government here has to take all steps to implement it here with immediate effect. In Andhra Pradesh, it was N. Chandrababu Naidu, who implemented categorisation in 2004, which was subsequently struck down by the SC. So I will be meeting him shortly and urge him to take all steps to implement categorisation in A.P.
In Tamil Nadu, categorisation among the SCs is already in force, subject to SC judgement. With the Apex Court upholding categorisation, TN government will find it easy to continue the reservations without any hurdles. Congress party in Karnataka is committed to categorisation and had put it its manifesto. So, this verdict should pave the way for its implementation.
Have you met Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. What is the TG government’s response to SC categorisation?
I met Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy along with Minister for Health C. Damodar Raj Narasimha and other Madiga elected representatives seeking steps to implement the SC verdict. He has promised to constitute a Cabinet Sub Committee to frame the rules of implementation. I requested the CM to see that the panel tours Punjab and Tamil Nadu, where the reservations are already under implementation.
How are you going to impress upon the governments in other parts of the country to honour the SC verdict?
Very soon I will undertake a tour of other States and meet the leaders there to discuss how to implement the SC verdict. For example, Haryana Cabinet has announced 10% reservation for the poorest among the SCs out of 20% quota. Once the elections are over in that State I will meet the Chief Minister and urge her or him to implement the categorisation. In Uttar Pradesh, the Rajnath Singh government had implemented categorisation but it was not continued by Mayawati regime. So now I will meet the top leaders there and ask for resumption of categorisation of SCs.
In Bihar, the Nitish Kumar government has introduced categorisation in the implementation of welfare schemes. Of the 21 sub-castes among the SCs, most deprived sections have been brought under Mahadalit category and rest in Dalit category. Lok Janashakti Party founded by late Ramvilas Paswan, is opposing the categorisation because his caste had benefited by reservations at the cost of others.
With reference to Maharashtra, the vast gap between the Mahars and other sub-castes has to be bridged and categorisation is the only way out there. A Commission constituted by then Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had recommended sub-categorisation but has not been implemented by successive governments. So finally, as the Southern States gear up to implement the SC verdict, I will focus my energy on spreading the message of need for its implementation in other parts of the country.
MRPS has at one stage turned into a political party but with limited success. In the wake of SC verdict, are you again aspiring to turn MRPS into a full fledged political party. Will you join any political party in the near future?
MRPS will have to continue for two reasons — we have to be there to protect implementation of SC categorisation. It has to be implemented in all angles and if there are any hurdles, then MRPS has to step in.
I am making it very clear, I will not join any political party. I will always don my trade mark black scarf, it will be there with me till my last breath. All political parties have at one time or the other offered me positions be it in the Legislature or Parliament but I politely turned it down. I will fight for the Madigas and the downtrodden as an independent only and raise my voice for them. If I join any political party, will I have the freedom to raise the voice of the voiceless people. I will be forced to toe the party line, which I am not ready to do.
Why should I go to the Legislature or Parliament? Is it to earn money for me and my family? I will be an independent voice and will not carry or own up any party flag.
MRPS is referred to as one-man show of Manda Krishna alone. Have you ever tried to create second line of leadership?
MRPS is not Manda Krishna nor is Manda Krishna MRPS. Its not second line leadership. Today MRPS has second, third and fourth line leadership. When we started off in 1994, the education qualification of the leaders were 10th class and there were few graduates. Today after three decades of agitation, MRPS leadership is full of highly educated post graduates, research scholars and those holding doctorates.
The determination to fight against visible injustice has sustained this movement. If BCs can have categorisation, why not SCs was the slogan.
MRPS movement has given birth to leaders who went on to become elected representatives. Take for instance T. Rajaiah, who went on to become Deputy Chief Minister in Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government. For that matter Dokka Manikya Varaprasad, who rose to become a minister in Congress government was a MRPS State-level leader. So is the case with P. Dayakar of the BRS, who was elected as an BRS MP. Also noteworthy is how two women MRPS leaders — Pushpaleela and Bodihe Shobha — who became a Minister and MLA respectively have grown. If our movement and leadership was not strong, then why would successive governments try to create troubles for us. Some leaders were lured with positions and money.
To describe MRPS, it is a factory that has produced leaders be it from the ward-level to the Deputy CM-level.
How does it feel, when you look back at the three decades of movement, full of ups and downs?
Our victory is result of the sacrifices made by the MRPS activists, who sacrificed their lives for the cause and became martyrs. When the CJI was reading out the verdict announcing categorisation I could not control my emotions and tears just rolled down my eyes.
Will your rivalry with the Malas continue even after this SC verdict?
We have no dispute or fight with the ordinary Malas. They too are our brothers and sisters and have faced discrimination in society. Our struggle is against the creamy layer among the Malas, who have enjoyed the fruits of reservation in employment and education. It is this section among the Malas, who are hell bent on depriving us of our just reservations.
Can you imagine that the MRPS was in the forefront of agitation when six Malas were killed in Laxmipeta village of Srikakulam district. We led the movement for justice to the families of the victims. These affluent sections among the Malas are not listening to society’s voice, courts verdict, Commission findings.
