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Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (TP)
Udupi, Jan 3: “The district administration lacks the willpower to recruit Koraga youth,” said, Sushila Nada, president Federation of Koraga Development Association, Karnataka – Kerala, on the 20th day of the continued protest by the Federation of Koraga Development Association in DC office Udupi, demanding direct recruitment for eligible members of the Koraga community.
Addressing the media, Sushila Nada, president of the federation, said that despite 20 days of continuous protest, there has been no positive response from either the government or the local administration. She stated that memorandums have been submitted to the principal secretary and the director of the Koraga Community Welfare Department, but their demands have not been addressed.
“We began this protest during the Belagavi Assembly session so that our appeal would reach the government. However, our issue was not discussed. During a protest held in 2024, an order was issued to provide jobs to forest native tribal communities through direct recruitment. The Koraga community, being the most backward, is deprived even of reservation benefits, as socially and economically stronger communities under the ST category avail them,” Sushila Nada said.
Sushila Nada pointed out that the Koraga community has been identified by the Central Government as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). “There is a legal provision to provide special direct recruitment for PVTG communities. Based on this, we held a 10-day protest last year demanding separate recognition and reservation. We will not withdraw this protest until the government takes our demand seriously,” she asserted.
She further expressed concern over delays in recruitment, stating that many youths may cross the age limit and lose employment opportunities. “It has been one and a half years since our previous protest. Though a former minister Jayaprakash Hegde assured us that our issue would be taken up with the Chief Minister and a memorandum was submitted, nothing has changed,” she said.
Highlighting administrative negligence, Nada said that during the previous protest, the then deputy commissioner had directed officials to give first preference to Koraga candidates.
“Recently, around 200 people were recruited to various departments, but not a single person from the Koraga community was selected, despite eligible and graduate candidates submitting their resumes. The district administration lacks the willpower to recruit Koraga youth. Since we are not politically strong, our community continues to face neglect,” she alleged.
Dr Dinakr Kinjooru, speaking at the protest said, “The Koraga community is among the most backward communities in Udupi district. We have repeatedly staged protests seeking basic rights such as education, healthcare and land deeds, and earlier we had also agitated for direct recruitment of eligible Koraga youth. We withdrew our previous protest based on the assurance given by Karnataka Assembly Speaker U T Khader, but there has been no progress. Hence, we have been forced to resume our protest. Today, more than 1,000 literate youths from our community are struggling without jobs, and the government must provide direct recruitment for the PVTG community.”
Divya, from the Koraga community, said, “I have completed my MSW, and many of us from the Koraga community are educated, yet discrimination continues. Whenever we attend interviews in the district, we are asked to appear for competitive exams on the grounds that we have reservation. Although we have tried to prepare for such exams, our poor financial condition makes it extremely difficult. Therefore, as provided under the law, we are demanding direct recruitment as promised. We want our future generations to believe that education can truly lead to success.”
Shekar, Kumardas Haladi, Sanjeeva B, Naveen, Praveen, Sathish, Deepa and many others from Koraga community took part in the protest.