Manda Krishna recently met with Congress leaders from Telangana, urging them to draft a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the categorization of SC reservations. He emphasized that his Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS) would decide whether to support Congress based on their response. However, this action has sparked confusion and debate among those who have been following his trajectory. Here are the details.

The Background of MRPS and SC Reservation Categorization:

The Indian Constitution introduced reservations for SCs, STs, and BCs due to various factors, such as historical oppression for SCs, distinct lifestyles for STs, and economic backwardness for BCs. The allocation was 15% for SCs, 25% for BCs, and 7.5% for STs. However, in the 1990s, Manda Krishna initiated an agitation asserting that within the 15% reservation for SCs, the Mala caste was disproportionately benefiting, while the Madiga and other sub-castes were lagging behind. He attributed this to geographical distribution. Coastal Andhra Pradesh had a higher concentration of the Mala community, while Telangana and Rayalaseema had more Madiga and mixed SC populations. As the coastal region was more developed, this disparity was mirrored in SC reservations. Consequently, the TDP government subdivided the 15% SC reservation, allocating 7% for Madiga, 6% for Mala, and 2% for other castes. However, this was later overturned by the Supreme Court.

Manda Krishna’s Stance During the Telangana Movement:

Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling, Manda Krishna continued advocating for SC sub-categorization, urging political parties to enact legislation in Parliament. He garnered support from various parties and intellectuals. Interestingly, during the Telangana movement, he publicly stated that sub-categorization would be unnecessary if Telangana were granted statehood. His rationale was that the people of Telangana wouldn’t have to compete with those from coastal Andhra, negating the need for a separate law on SC reservation categorization. This argument proved valid, and Telangana was eventually formed.

The Puzzle of Manda Krishna’s U-Turn:

However, Manda Krishna’s current demand for Telangana Congress to write a letter to PM Modi regarding sub-categorization raises perplexing questions. Given that Madiga is the dominant SC population in Telangana, sub-categorization wouldn’t benefit their interests. In fact, it may negatively impact their interests. If Manda Krishna wanted to press this issue, it would have made more sense to address it with Andhra Pradesh parties. Therefore, his decision to approach Telangana Congress is puzzling. It’s possible that he is not inclined to openly support Congress and has instead shifted the onus onto them. His meeting with Modi a month ago lends weight to this interpretation.

To be frank, as Manda Krishna himself acknowledged during the Telangana movement, the creation of a separate Telangana state effectively addressed the issue that MRPS was championing in Telangana. This issue almost faded away in AP as well. Now, the question remains whether Manda Krishna can continue exerting the same political influence he wielded as a pressure group a couple of decades ago.