Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (NR) - pics - Ganesh S Perla

Mangalore, Oct 27: A meeting was organized here to receive grievances and suggestions from Bakuda, Godda, Kudumban,  Kuruvan, Maila, Manne, Mavilan, Pambada, Valluvan and other communities included in the Scheduled Castes, at the Circuit House here on Friday October 26. The commission chairman justice A J Sadashiva informed at the meeting that the commission after collecting the said information would conduct a survey in March/April 2008.

Since the Justice A J Sadashiva Commission of Enquiry laid special emphasis on self-surveys by communities to eliminate discrepancies, the commission the Justice stated would compare its survey report with the self-surveys done by communities. Further he felt that it would help if each caste provided details of members, houses and employment to the Commission. A final report on the same will be submitted to the government before December 2008, he added.

Giving information on Pambada community, its member Vasudeva said that there were 567 Pambada community members living in 121 houses in the district. Out of which only five members in the community were able to secure postgraduate degrees and none of them took science subjects in PU. Majority of the Pambada youthsgave up their studies after PU and took up hereditary profession of ‘Bootha Kola’. However, this being a seasonal profession most of the community members were not gainfully employed, he lamented.

P Deekaiah of Mansa community informed that his community has its origins in DK district. The community however, lost its identity as its members moved to the cities to earn a living as municipality workers. Only 1% population of the community is educated. So, he rued the fact that his community was totally neglected and living in pathetic condition. He requested for a survey to be conducted to provide the population figures of the community.

Earlier Justice Sadashiva informed that the meeting has been convened to find out whether the communities with small population and which is a backward can be given educational and job opportunities. Further, he said that a request would be made to include those communities which have not been included in the SC list.