Balijas of Rayalaseema demand reservation citing years of neglect

The numerically-strong Balija community of Greater Rayalaseema has demanded the State government to provide its rightful share of the development pie by restoring the reservation that once existed for the community.

Greater Rayalaseema Balija (Kapu, Telaga) Mahasabha, the body representing the community in the six undivided districts of Chittoor, Kadapa, Anantapuram, Kurnool, Nellore and Prakasam (now ten districts), has appealed to the government to rescue the backward community from the clutches of poverty.

Comprising of sects such as Gajula Balija, Setti Balija, Perika Balija, Ediga Balija, Vada Balija, Uppara Balija and Musugu Balija in the region, the community with a 40 lakh population in the six districts enjoyed marital relations among the sects.

Citing certain anomalies in the reservation meant for the community ever since the Independence, the Mahasabha’s convener C. Sivaprasad said some sects were reckoned as ‘OC’ and some tagged under ‘OBC’. “Today, the community finds itself acceptable neither among the OC, nor among the OBC categories, and has thus been sandwiched in between”, he explained at a media conference here on Tuesday.

“Balijas of Rayalaseema depend largely on agriculture, which is far from remunerative in the drought-prone region. In the absence of reservation and scholarships, the community lags further behind in education and employment”, lamented fellow conveners Y.V. Chakradhar and Gudamsetti Dorababu.

Regional coordinators Ponaganti Bhaskar and G.S. Prasad observed that the promise to provide reservation to the community under the EWS category had also remained unfulfilled.

Recalling that the Balijas had entirely sided with the NDA and ensured its thumping victory during the recent elections, the leaders demanded the three parties to provide rightful representation to the Balija candidates in the disbursal of nominated posts.

Published - October 29, 2024 03:15 pm IST