Will work for backward communities in coastal K'taka: Shantharama, state's first lawmaker from Siddi community

Shantharama Budna Siddi, one of the five MLCs nominated by the state government to the Legislative Council is India's first MLC from the Siddi community - a small group of the ethnic community in India believed to be descendants of the Bantu people from East Africa.

Talking to reporters on Friday, Siddi said that he had been surprised at his nomination to the Upper House.

He said that he had never expected of getting nominated even after working for over three decades for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during which he held numerous posts, in the orgsation, and added that he will continue working for the upliftment of the tribal communities in the state.

"I have been working at RSS for 32 years without any expectations. I had no hope of getting nominated to the Legislative Council. However, we are working for people and I'll continue to do the same in future as well. There are many backward communities in coastal Karnataka and other places which need to be recognised, I'll work for them and also educate them," he said.

They are included in the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Karnataka.

Governor Vajubhai Vala had nominated five persons, including Shantharama, to the Karnataka Legislative Council on Wednesday.

( With inputs from ANI )