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Bengaluru: The All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, which has vehemently opposed the social and educational survey (caste census) as “unscientific,” is gearing up to conduct its own survey to determine the population of the dominant Lingayat community.
As per the caste census, the Lingayat population in the state is 66.35 lakh. Dismissing these numbers, Mahasabha office-bearers claim that actual numbers are in excess of 1.3 crore.
Speaking to DH, the Mahasabha’s All-India General Secretary H M Renuka Prasanna said: “This will be an online survey. Once the software is ready, we will tentatively conduct the survey in December-January. This is so since ours is a predominantly agricultural community and we have to survey people when they are available at home. We have finalised the questionnaire too.”
According to the sample questionnaire that DH has seen, there are questions on a person’s name, father/husband’s name, age, gender, DoB, educational qualification, employment status and so on.
The final survey is likely to include a few more queries concerning Aadhar number, sub-caste, house status (own, rent or on lease).
Mahasabha’s objections
Explaining that the Chinnappa Reddy Commission - which submitted its report in 1990 - had identified 61 Lingayat sub-castes and estimated the Lingayat population at 17%, the Mahasabha questions how the current report can have 94 sub-castes (factually wrong according to the Mahasabha) and yet have only 11% of the state’s population.
Proponents of the caste census have argued that Lingayat numbers have reduced since some Lingayat sub-castes (for ex Sadar, Ganiga) are also seen as separate castes in different categories, wherein Lingayats are alleged to have registered for “extra” reservation benefits.
Countering this, the Mahasabha said in a note: “In the case of Sadar Lingayats, the estimated numbers are around 15-20 lakh. If the Sadar Lingayats are only 67,903, the remaining must have registered as ‘Hindu’ Sadar. However, Hindu Sadar numbers are only 1.87 lakh. These numbers don’t match.”
Prasanna pointed out that there were 46 Lingayat sub-castes with similar names amongst SCs, categories 1A, 1B, 2A and 3A.