The contentious ‘Caste Census’ report was tabled before the Karnataka cabinet on Friday amid opposition from within the ruling Congress. The report tabled by the state Backward Classes Commission will be “discussed” at a special cabinet meeting to be convened on April 17.
“The Caste Census report and its recommendations have been tabled and the ministers have sought time to study the report,” said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who, during his recent visit to Delhi reportedly held discussions with Congress leader and Leader of the opposition in Parliament Rahul Gandhi, who has been pushing for a nationwide caste census.
Rahul Gandhi, by endorsing the slogan 'Jitni abadi utna haq' (Rights proportionate to the population), has called for greater representation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) based on their population, besides the SC and ST communities.
Taking a cue from the party leadership, the Congress-ruled states Telangana and now Karnataka have tabled the surveys.
In Karnataka, a state politically dominated by Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities, many have been opposing the survey citing “flaws” in enumeration and lack of reliable data in the absence of a national Census (after 2011).
Siddaramaiah, who holds sway over the ‘Ahinda’ (minorities, backward classes and Dalit) voters is being accused of playing a political game through the survey, to consolidate his votebank at the expense of the dominant communities.
In 2015, during Siddaramaiah’s first stint as the chief minister (2013-2018), he commissioned a study of the socio-economic and educational status of the various social groups which was referred to as the ‘caste survey’.
Accordingly, the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes (H Kantharaju Commission) prepared a report spending ₹169 crore. While the report was ready by 2016, it was put in cold storage by subsequent governments fearing a backlash from politically dominant and numerically strong communities – the Vokkaliga and Lingayat. Again in 2020, the BJP government appointed Jayaprakash Hegde as the Commission chief but the report was not made public. Hegde submitted the final report to the Siddaramaiah government on February 29, 2024, where he recommended reservation in education and public employment and targeted intervention to empower the backward communities.
The Vokkaligara Sangha and the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, which represent the Vokkaligas and Lingayats, the two dominant caste groups in the state are opposed to the caste census as they suspect the survey has undercounted their population. The two communities believed to be numerically strong (Lingayat - 17 per cent of total population and Vokkaliga - 12 per cent) have been wielding immense political power. At least 16 of the 23 chief ministers of Karnataka belong to these two caste groups. The community leaders cutting across party lines feel that the census, by undercounting their numbers, might curtail their political representation both within and outside the party.
Also, the opposition parties have dubbed the report as “incomplete, redundant and unscientific” stating no door-to-door survey was carried out in many districts and also that there was lack of clarity over the actual status of some Lingayat subsects, SC and ST castes.
Siddaramaiah, who is entangled in a power tussle with KPCC chief and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, is also facing multiple allegations of corruption. The timing of the survey being made public despite strong opposition from the Vokkaliga and Lingayat ministers is also intriguing.
Shivakumar, a Vokkaliga leader has given an ultimatum to the party leadership to remove Siddaramaiah from the CM’s and anoint him his successor by October this year, as per the “secret” power-sharing pact. The survey which has allegedly projected the ‘Ahinda’ communities as numerically stronger than the rest, is bound to put an end to the political dominance of Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities.
Soon after the cabinet meeting, the Lingayat and Vokkaliga ministers remained elusive and told reporters that they would examine the report before making any statements.
According to the 2015 caste census tabled in the cabinet, the population of SC communities is 1.08 crore, ST 40.45 lakh, Muslim 70 lakh, Lingayat 65 lakh, Vokkaliga 60 lakh, Kuruba 45 lakh, OBC 91 lakh, and Brahmin 14 lakh.
The state Vokkaliga and Lingayat Associations have registered protest and warned ministers from their communities of a massive agitation if the report is approved in the state cabinet.
Opposition BJP alleged that Siddaramaiah was trying to divert the attention of people from the scams by tabling the controversial report.
