Hyderabad: Telangana Minister Vakkati Srihari on Tuesday announced his full support for achieving 42% reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) and pledged to take the lead in securing BC-A status for the Mudiraj community. He was speaking as chief guest at a felicitation ceremony held at Ravindra Bharathi for newly elected Mudiraj sarpanches and deputy sarpanches across the state.
Addressing the gathering, Srihari said the demand for 42% reservation for BCs is justified and needs sustained struggle. “If we don’t fight for our share now, when will we?” he asked, calling for coordinated mobilisation across communities. He urged BC leaders to seek constitutional remedies inspired by reformers like Jyotiba Phule and Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
Separately, Srihari declared that he would personally take responsibility for convincing the Chief Minister to move the Mudiraj community from the BC-D to BC-A category. He also proposed a mass rally at Parade Grounds to press the demand and called on the community to begin preparations. “Let us aim to send at least 35 Mudiraj MLAs to the Assembly,” he said.
Mudiraj leaders urged to build political strength, claim traditional rights
The event, led by Telangana Mudiraj Corporation Chairman Borra Gnaneshwar, honoured elected representatives from the Mudiraj caste who recently won local body elections. Srihari reminded the community that political empowerment required both numbers and strategy. He referenced a past rally by Kasani Gyaneshwar as an example of collective strength and said it was time to translate such mobilisations into real political representation.
He also demanded that the existing GO regulating fisheries society memberships be scrapped and replaced to ensure traditional fishing communities like the Mudiraj regain control over village tanks. “Those who climb palm trees should own the toddy; those who catch fish should control the lakes,” he said. He stressed that the community must not remain in a position of dependency despite having population, resources, and skills.
MPs Banda Prakash and Etela Rajender also addressed the event. Rajender noted that winning grassroots elections like ward member or sarpanch is harder than securing a Parliament seat due to the overpowering influence of money. “If not for the role of money, many more Mudiraj youth would have been elected,” he said.
Speakers called for eliminating the role of middlemen in the fisheries sector, and improving support for livelihoods through free fish seed, cold storage, motorcycles, and transport vehicles. Srihari recalled raising the issue of injustice towards the Mudiraj caste in the Assembly as early as 2005, and promised to stand by the community in every future battle—whether for representation, rights over natural resources, or reclassification.