The Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das Commission, which submitted its report on internal reservation for 101 Scheduled Castes in the State, has recommended to the State government to write to the Centre to allow people of certain castes to change the name of their communities that are being used as cuss words.
It has said that the members belonging to the castes have shown reluctance to identify themselves with the caste due to its name being wrongfully used. They include Ghantichor, Holeya Dasari, Halalkhor, Kalla Korama and Chandala among others. The Holeya and Madiga caste names are also used as cuss words.
The report said that it was the British who had criminalised certain castes in 1793 after these castes were seen as being opposed to their rule by branding them “criminal nomadic tribes”. Incidentally, the British enacted the Criminal Tribes Act in 1871.
The commission noted that many of these castes members, for the same reason, have taken caste certificates in the name of Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravid and Adi Andhra.
The commission also received request to drop the caste names of ‘Sugali’ and ‘Sukali’ that are also used as cuss words to insult Banjaras. The two are in the SC list approved by the President as synonyms to Banjaras and Lambanis. Though Supreme Court has clarified that the change of caste is not possible, the State Government can recommend to the Centre to change of caste names.
