Mangaluru: The Tulunad Mansa Samaja Seva Sangha has urged the state govt to include the Mansa community in the scheduled castes (SC) list ahead of the state cabinet meeting scheduled to be held in Mangaluru on Sept 18.Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the sangha’s honorary president M Shantaram and president Venkanna Koyyuru said the community, with a population of more than five lakh, is spread across Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kodagu, Shivamogga and Kasaragod districts. Exclusion from the official SC list had forced several members to obtain caste certificates under alternative identities, including ‘Adi Dravida’ in coastal areas and ‘Adi Karnataka’ in the Malnad region.According to the sangha, the lack of official recognition had affected the community’s access to educational and economic opportunities, social welfare benefits and political representation.The leaders also criticised the recently introduced internal reservation policy, claiming that it primarily benefited relatively powerful communities already included in the SC list, while communities such as the Mansa continued to struggle for recognition.The sangha said a file seeking approval for an ethnographic study of the Mansa community was pending the signature of the concerned minister. It alleged that the delay was due to pressure from influential groups and anti-social elements.The organisation appealed to chief minister DK Shivakumar and social welfare minister KH Muniyappa to approve the ethnographic study and initiate the process for the community’s inclusion in the SC list.Vice-president Hariyappa Mutthuru, honorary adviser Achyutha Sampige, general secretary Udaya Goliyangadi, organising secretary M Ramesh Bodhi and Chikkamagaluru district president Ananda Koppa were present.
