Folly of Karnataka's unconstitutional job reservation bill

No wonder the state government's reactionary and unconstitutional move to reserve private sector jobs in Karnataka for Kannadigas failed at the outset. The decision was made to pass the controversial bill, prepared without prior deliberation and approved by the cabinet, in the upcoming assembly session. However, within hours of the bill's release, nationwide protests erupted. It is evident to anyone with common sense the immense impact such a regressive law would have on Karnataka's cities, where lakhs of non-Kannadigas work in various fields. Unfortunately, the state cabinet members who passed the bill did not foresee this danger, which became apparent when the entire private industry sector united against the government's move.

In response, the decision to postpone the controversial bill was made, with the intention of thoroughly scrutinizing it before making an appropriate decision. The 'sons of the soil' argument was first raised decades ago in Maharashtra by the Shiv Sena, advocating that jobs in all sectors be reserved for Marathi speakers, leading to the expulsion of many non-locals from Mumbai. Similarly, an attempt in Haryana to prioritize natives in job vacancies was thwarted by the courts.

The Congress party's main slogan during the last election campaign was the protection of the constitution. Karnataka, currently ruled by the Congress under Siddaramaiah, now faces the absurdity and impropriety of pushing forward the unconstitutional Sons of the Soil Act. Millions of professionals, including one million Malayalis, work in Karnataka cities, particularly Bengaluru, across more than eight thousand companies. If the employment reservation law is enacted, job opportunities for non-locals will gradually diminish and disappear.

This situation exemplifies how political parties will resort to unfair means to retain power. It remains unclear what the Congress leaders, who swore an oath with copies of the Constitution in hand, will say about this egregious action by the Karnataka government. If other states adopt similar strict laws, the consequences will be dire. Such moves will disrupt industry operations and hinder the country's economic growth. This law is a desperate attempt to maintain power rather than to protect the natives. Congress leaders who advocate for a united India should correct reactionary rulers like Siddaramaiah.