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*Quota, not religious intolerance, behind Orissa violence: NCM* Rajeev Ranjan Roy | New Delhi Quota politics and not religious intolerance was behind recent violence involving attack on churches in Orissa. This startling fact has been brought out by the report of a high-level team of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) that visited the spot. The team, which included two members of the Commission - Dileep Padagaonkar and Prof Zoya Hasan-among others, found that it was the love for 'quota' among the Christian converts that led to widespread violence, in the process leaving several injured and many killed. The minority panel has concluded that the clash among 'some Christian groups' for quota was of one the main reasons that led to the burning of churches and attacks on fellow brethren professing one common religion. The second "important factor for the violence was the anti-conversion campaign conducted by the VHP and the Sangh Parivar for the last few years', the report said. Violence had broken out at a large-scale on the Christmas eve in Phulbani, Daringbadi, Bamunigaon and Baliguda. "The NCM delegation found that one of the main reasons for the outbreak of violence was the long simmering Kui-Pana conflict. Panas are asking for inclusion in the ST category to benefit from reservation, to which Kuis are opposed," NCM chairman Mohammad Shafi Qureshi told the mediapersons on Thursday. Panas are SC Christian converts, and hence are not entitled to quota as per the Constitutional provisions, while Kuis, ST Christian converts, enjoy quota in both the Government services and academic institutions. This is what pitted Panas against Kuis. "It is basically fight for share in the quota cake. It is an old issue, involving the two communities. The Kui tribals claim that Panas are different from them, and should not be allowed to get ST status," Mrityunjay Nayak, member, National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), said. Experts feel that the violent quota brawl in Orissa is the repletion of what was happening in Andhra Pradesh, where the two powerful SC groups have locked their horns against one another on the issue of sharing the quota booty. The Madigas, the majority Scheduled Caste group in the State with 68-lakh population have accused Malas, the second largest group of SC, of usurping their share in reservation by grabbing all opportunities. The Ministry has decided to set up a committee headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court to suggest ways to deal with such problem. The fight for quota within the quota simply brings forth the lacunas in the country's reservation policy that does not guarantee that the benefits of quota reach the needy first. If Madigas are the major beneficiaries in Andhra Pradesh, Meenas get away with the lion's share in the quota cake of STs. As per the sub-categorisation of SCs, the State Government earmarked 7 per cent quota for Madigas, 6 per cent to Malas, one per cent each to Rellis, and Adi Andhra, totalling 15 per cent in the Government jobs and the State-owned and funded institutions. The Malas, with 54-lakh population and capturing 65 per cent job opportunities, moved the Supreme Court, challenging Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Act, 2000 of the State Government. It is almost an identical situation being witnessed in Rajasthan, where Gujjars are asking for ST status along with Meenas, to which the latter are fiercely opposed. Meenas are considered to be the prime beneficiary of ST quota, as they grab the lion's share. Given the Gujjars' social status, Meenas fear that their hegemony over quota would be effectively damaged if the Gujjars get ST status. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
