Roundtable calls for united movement
Vows to fight for Caste Census, BC quotas in local bodies
Vijayawada: A roundtable of Backward Classes (BC) associations and political parties has demanded that a comprehensive and scientific caste enumeration be conducted in the upcoming census and that BCs be allotted seats in local bodies based on their population, similar to the system in Telangana.
The meeting resolved to launch a statewide united movement, pressing Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, a key partner in the NDA government, to fulfil his promises to the backward castes. The CPI State Committee organised the meeting at Sri Rama Function Hall here on Sunday. Leaders of various BC groups, artisan communities, people’s associations, and political representatives participated.
The roundtable finalised a plan of action, which includes forming Joint Action Committees (JACs), submitting memoranda to MLAs in all constituencies, and conducting district-level meetings and conferences to intensify the campaign.
CPI State Secretary K Ramakrishna, who presided, said that while Bihar, Karnataka, and Telangana governments had announced caste censuses, the Naidu government was hesitating despite claiming to be a “BC government.” He accused the Chief Minister of pursuing privatisation policies that harm reserved communities, citing the proposed privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, which he said would deprive SC, ST, and BC people of secure jobs gained through reservations.
Congress Working Committee (CWC) member N Raghuveera Reddy stressed that caste enumeration was a TDP poll promise and must be implemented. He said that BC, SC, and ST caste counts were essential for equitable opportunities, while the 10% EWS quota benefitted only a limited few.
CPM State Secretariat Member B Tulasidas emphasised that caste census was important for both legality and representation nationwide.
CPI Assistant Secretary Muppalla Nageswara Rao recalled two decades of BC struggles for constitutional justice, while Visakhapatnam Cooperative Bank President JV Satyanarayana Murthy insisted that only united struggles could achieve the goal.
BC Association leader Keshana Shankara Rao urged Naidu to leverage his NDA influence to secure 33% reservation for BCs in legislative assemblies across the country. Eminent doctor A Venkateswara Rao highlighted injustice in medical admissions under the management quota, which disadvantaged poor and reserved-class students.
Leaders from the Samajwadi Party, Vishwa Brahmin Sangam, Rajaka Sangam, Nayi Brahmin JAC, Padmasali Youth, Yadava Sangam, BC Employees Association, and Vaddera Sangam also addressed the gathering. They demanded fair representation for the 72 small castes among BCs in education, employment, and politics.
