The Hindu

BANGALORE, Jan 7: Leaders of the Brahmin community on Sunday demanded that it be given political reservation in Karnataka.

Participating in a seminar on “Political reservation to Brahmins” organised by the Akhila Bharata Chanakya Brahmana Sangha in Bangalore, vice-president of the sangha K.N. Chayapathi said it would soon submit a memorandum to Governor Rameshwar Thakur seeking reservation of certain Assembly constituencies to the community.

Mr. Chayapathi said the community had identified 30 to 35 Assembly constituencies where Brahmins were in good numbers, including Malleswaram and Basavanagudi in Bangalore. The sangha office-bearers would demand reservation in these constituencies. The office-bearers would also meet the Election Commission officials to press their demand.

Participating in the seminar, Sanskrit scholar Pavagada Prakash Rao regretted that a majority of the Brahmins hesitated to connect themselves with politics. Distancing themselves from politics had come in the way of their development, he pointed out and urged them to shed this attitude. He said that Brahmin politicians, including the former Chief Ministers R. Gundu Rao and Ramakrishna Hegde, had come up on their own without any support from the community. Hence, the community was then not in a position to demand any benefits from them.

Mr. Rao said politicians of the community would become strong if its members stood behind them. The community would not be able to get political benefits if its members were not in good numbers in political parties.

He welcomed the statement of BSP leader and U.P Chief Minister Mayawati that the party could not come to power and implement its concept of social change without the support of dominant communities, including Brahmins.