Caste census: Is Congress caught in OBC dilemma?

Even as the Congress aims for a strong OBC push with its Bengaluru Declaration, backward class leaders, including some within the Congress, have raised uncomfortable questions over the state government’s refusal to act on the Social and Educational survey report (caste census).

When the BJP-led Union government decided to enumerate castes in the upcoming decadal census, it was articulated as a strategic win for the Congress, as party’s top leader Rahul Gandhi had vociferously batted for a national-level caste census.

The Congress has continued this strategy in the Bengaluru Declaration by urging the Union government to include social, economic, educational, employment and political aspects in the census.

However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s decision on June 12 to set aside the Kantharaj Commission survey and conduct a new caste survey has been widely perceived as a setback for the backward classes.

Even though Siddaramaiah is hailed as an Ahinda (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and SC/STs) champion, several Congress leaders from his core constituency are upset with the caste census developments.

Experts have also dubbed Siddaramaiah’s claim that the new census can be conducted within three months “impractical.” K N Lingappa, a former Backward Classes Commission member, slammed the Congress for its “inconsistencies.”

“When Congress is asking for a caste census at the national level, why did they not reveal the Kantharaj Commission findings? Going by those statistics, why did they not frame policies for the upliftment of the underprivileged?” he sought to know.

Lingappa cited instances of the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru-led government rejecting the Kaka Kalelkar Commission report and Indira Gandhi not acting on the Mandal Commission report to argue that Congress had been historically against backward classes. 

However, this line of argument was contested by a senior Congressman. “In the first few years after Independence, Congress was dominated by upper-class members. Pandit Nehru constituted the Kaka Kalelkar Commission but Kalelkar was a Brahmin and he didn’t take initiative to conduct a survey. The predominance of upper castes is also why Indira Gandhi didn’t act on the Mandal report.”

“Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh gave 27% reservation to OBCs in Central universities. How can they say that Congress is anti-OBCs? It takes time to change the mindset of the privileged communities.”

Five members have recently been appointed to the Backward Classes Commission, headed by Madhusudhan G Naik. For the first time in the history of the BC Commission in Karnataka, Lingayat (C M Kundgol) and Vokkaliga (G M Srikantaiah) members have been appointed.

Taking exception to the move, a source said: “It will now not be possible to give reports that are unfavourable to these communities. Secondly, this precedent will ensure that they will have to be accommodated in future commissions too.”

Even the Congress leader quoted earlier slammed the move and stated that it sets a “bad precedent.” Against this backdrop, the upcoming caste census and the Congress’ reaction will be keenly watched.