Minister for Employment, Training and Factories G. Vivek Venkataswamy on Saturday urged Backward Classes to draw inspiration from Chityala Ilamma, also known as Chakali Ilamma, and intensify their struggle for rights, representation and self-respect, in remarks that underscored the growing political salience of BC mobilisation in Telangana.
Addressing the 131st birth anniversary celebrations of Ilamma at Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad, the Minister said her resistance to feudal domination remained a powerful example for the Rajaka community and for other Backward Classes seeking dignity and a stronger voice in public life. The event was organised as a State function by the Department of BC Welfare, signalling the government's effort to place BC identity and historical memory at the centre of its outreach.
Mr. Vivek Venkataswamy said he supported the demand for inclusion of Backward Classes in the caste census, framing it as part of a broader effort to ensure that communities are counted, recognised and represented. He said the Rajaka community had been fighting for several years to address its problems and secure its rights, and added that it deserved due recognition in society. "The community should get due recognition in society," he said, urging everyone to support its struggle for rights and self-respect.
The Minister's remarks linked historical memory with present-day political strategy. By invoking Ilamma, a figure celebrated for her defiance of entrenched power, he sought to cast the BC movement not merely as a demand for welfare measures but as a wider assertion of social justice and political agency. He said legal reservations had been provided to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes because of the discrimination they had faced over a long period, and argued that BCs too had capable leaders who could guide the community forward. Unity among BCs, he said, would help them secure their rights.
Mr. Vivek Venkataswamy also pointed to the community's electoral strength, noting that BCs had a significant presence in several wards in local body elections and were securing victories. But he said that success at the grassroots had not yet translated into comparable representation in larger elections, a gap he suggested the community must work to close through organisation and solidarity.
The Minister recalled his own association with the Rajaka community, saying he had helped install several statues of Ilamma in Peddapalli and Mancherial districts and had supported the community during his tenure as an MP. His comments were aimed at reinforcing his credentials as a political leader attentive to BC concerns, while also acknowledging the symbolic importance of public memorialisation in sustaining community identity.
Mr. Vivek Venkataswamy appreciated the efforts of BC national leader R. Krishnaiah in fighting for the rights of BCs, and also praised Rajaka leader and MLC Baswaraju Saraiah for his services to the community. Their presence and contributions, he suggested, reflected the leadership base available to BCs if they chose to consolidate around common goals.
Advisor to the State government on BC Welfare and Development V. Hanumantha Rao and several BC leaders attended the celebrations, which brought together political leaders, community representatives and welfare officials under the banner of a State-sponsored commemoration.
The event came at a time when caste enumeration and representation remain politically charged issues in Telangana and across India. By publicly backing BC inclusion in the caste census and urging greater unity, Mr. Vivek Venkataswamy positioned the government's BC outreach as both symbolic and strategic, rooted in historical remembrance but aimed squarely at future political power.