It’s Valmiki raj in Bellary

It’s Valmiki raj in Bellary

BY SHIVAKUMAR G. MALAGI
BELLARY

‘ ‘ It’s quite natural that political- ly empowered Valmikis should appoint their men
The Valmiki com munity dominates key administrative posts from the deputy commissioner downwards in this ore-rich district.

The deputy commissioner, additional SP, deputy conservator of forest, CEO of the Zilla Panchayat, the commissioner of the Bellary Municipal Corporation, assistant commissioner (revenue, Hospet), resident medical officers and many more sub-ordinate officers in almost every department belong to the tribal Valmiki community.

The increasing number of officers from the community is seen as an offshoot of the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission, which had also suggested reservation of five-Assembly seats out of nine in the district and the Bellary Lok Sabha seat for the scheduled tribes.

Consequently for the fist time since Independence five candidates from the Valmiki community were elected to the state Assembly in the May 2008 elections and one MLA, B Sriramulu became minister in the B.S. Yeddyurappa government.

“Valmikis are in large number in the district, but they were used as merely vote-banks. It is quite natural now that politically empowered Valmikis should appoint officers from their own community to key posts. We cannot call this casteism, but a matter of placing confidence and trust. For decades bureau cratic posts have been occupied by upper castes,” says a senior district BJP partyman.

However, the community in which the Devadasi system is still in vogue, does not seem greatly benefited from the battery of its officers in key positions.

“We have four MLAs in the ruling party and of them one is a minister. But I don’t think the purpose of uplifting the backward Valmikis through political empowerment has been served as the elected MLAs have become mere puppets in the hands of upper caste miners, turned politicians. The officers are also not an exception,” says V K Basappa, president, Valmiki Rakshana Vedike, Bellary.


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