For Karnataka's parties, pastures ever green

Karnataka’s sheep and goats, the bleating animals involved in a political movement through their rearing Kuruba community, have 15 different government schemes exclusively for them and more are in the pipeline.

The state is home to 1.09 crore sheep and 6.14 lakh goats, according to provisional census figures.

The state government is now mulling a comprehensive policy under which the rearing of sheep and goats will be promoted as a financial activity under animal husbandry. Also, a laboratory is proposed to be set up for the genetic improvement (twinning) of indigenous sheep.

These will add to existing sheep and goat schemes such as scientific training for sheep/goat farming, certification of pure breeds, incentives for cooperative societies formed by wool producers, training for mechanised wool cutting, and so on.

Also, keeping the November 3 Sira bypoll in mind, the BS Yediyurappa administration recently notified the creation of the Kadu Golla Development Board. This will cater to the Golla community that is also involved in sheep rearing.

The most popular of these schemes, in terms of the number of beneficiaries, is Anugraha under which Rs 5,000 compensation is provided by the government to owners of sheep or goats that die.

“Most people don’t even know there are so many schemes,” former cooperation minister Bandeappa Kashempur of the JD(S), who belongs to the Kuruba community, said. “Also, is there money for the schemes? There’s a Karnataka Sheep & Wool Development Corporation Ltd, an entity in name only,” he said.

According to Kashempur, the neighbouring Telangana provides subsidies worth Rs 13,000 crore for people living off sheep and goats. Telangana has 1.91 crore sheep and 49.48 lakh goats. “That’s the kind of attention they’ve given. But here, the government is ignoring this sector. It’s important because a person can eke out a livelihood with just two sheep or goats,” he said.

Notwithstanding, Kuruba leaders across political parties and seers have joined hands to up the ante on their demand to get the community included under the ST list. The movement dates back to 1935 and farther back, according to those involved.

Apparently, when D Devaraj Urs was the CM, his government recommended extending the ST reservation status statewide for the Kuruba, Gonda, Kadu Kuruba, Jenu Kuruba, Kuruman (Kurumban) and Kattunayakan sub-sects. But, this did not come through.

Of these sub-sects, the Kurubas are considered as ST only in the Kodagu district and as OBC elsewhere.