Manda Krishna Madiga, the founder and president of the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS), has expressed his profound satisfaction with the Supreme Court’s recent verdict on the categorization of Scheduled Castes (SC). In a heartfelt response, Manda Krishna Madiga dedicated the ruling to supporters of their movement and the martyrs who contributed to the cause. He lauded the verdict as evidence of the judiciary’s commitment to justice for the oppressed and described it as a landmark decision aimed at upholding social equity and supporting marginalized communities.
Manda Krishna Madiga acknowledged the crucial support from prominent figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, former President Venkaiah Naidu, and other leaders, which helped expedite the process. He noted that Chandrababu Naidu, who played a pivotal role in the categorization process in the past, is currently in office during the issuance of this ruling, which instills confidence in the seamless implementation of the categorization without hindrance.
Expressing full trust in Chandrababu Naidu, Manda Krishna Madiga also pointed out that the Congress government in Telangana, which had previously mentioned hiring a lawyer for the categorization issue, would now be compelled to implement the Supreme Court’s verdict. He indicated that categorization would soon be extended to Karnataka as well and highlighted the anticipated realization of justice for communities previously unable to access reservations.
Manda Krishna Madiga urged both state governments to postpone job recruitments until the categorization process is completed and requested that notifications be issued only after the full details are received. He stressed the necessity of rectifying any discrepancies in the notifications and called for the immediate implementation of categorization in educational admissions to prevent any potential injustice to the community. He announced plans to organize a victory celebration in the near future.
Reflecting on the significance of the verdict, Manda Krishna Madiga noted that had the issue not been brought before the court in 2004, there might have been numerous struggles for Dalits’ collective benefit over the past two decades. He emphasized that this achievement represents a collective victory rather than a win for one group at the expense of another and urged unified efforts towards the advancement of Dalit communities. Manda Krishna Madiga expressed hope that the benefits of categorization would extend to all sub-castes, projecting that Madigas in Telangana could receive 11-12% reservations, with Andhra Pradesh potentially exceeding 7%.