Hyderabad: Telangana Health Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha has lauded Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for fulfilling the long-standing dream of Dalits in the state by implementing the Scheduled Caste (SC) classification.
During the discussion on SC classification in the Assembly on Tuesday, Rajanarsimha expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister, Cabinet Subcommittee Chairman Uttam Kumar Reddy, and other leaders for their commitment to achieving this milestone. He credited the Congress Party’s dedication and the Chief Minister’s vision for ensuring social justice and empowerment.
The Minister highlighted that the demand for SC classification began 15 years after independence and has been a long-standing aspiration of the Madiga community. He paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for this cause and praised CM Revanth Reddy for fulfilling the aspirations of the martyrs.
Rajanarsimha noted that Telangana enacted the SC Classification Act within six months of the Supreme Court’s ruling that allowed states to carry out such classifications. He emphasised that the current classification is consistent with previous efforts, with only 26 castes, representing 3.43 per cent of the total Madiga population, included in new groups, while 33 castes remain in their original groups.
The Minister traced the history of the SC classification movement, referencing key milestones such as the BN Lokur Committee in 1965, Punjab’s implementation in 1975, and the Justice Ramachandra Raju Commission’s recommendations in 1996. Despite previous attempts being halted by court rulings, the Supreme Court’s verdict in August 2024 affirmed the state’s right to classify SCs based on empirical data.
Rajanarsimha praised CM Revanth Reddy’s swift action following the court ruling, highlighting his immediate announcement in the Assembly to implement classification. The Telangana government appointed a one-man judicial commission led by retired judge Justice Shamim Akhtar to conduct a thorough study. The commission toured all ten former joint districts, received over 8,000 petitions, and submitted a comprehensive 199-page report on February 3, 2025.
The Minister concluded by declaring that February 4 (Social Justice Day) and March 18 (the day the SC Classification Bill was passed by the House) will be remembered in history for this significant achievement
