<p>Bengaluru: With a fortnight left for the social and educational survey (caste census), All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha general secretary Eshwar B Khandre urged fellow Lingayats on Sunday to enumerate their religion as ‘Veerashaiva Lingayat’ under the others column. </p>.<p>Addressing a press conference, Khandre, who is also the forest, ecology and environment minister, said: “Everyone has to participate in the survey. For the religion, they should mention as Veerashaiva Lingayat in the ‘others’ column. For the caste, mention as Veerashaiva or Lingayat or Veerashaiva Lingayat. For sub-castes, they should ascertain the serial numbers and then register.”</p>.<p>The religion column includes 11 entries, including Hindu, Islam, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, Atheist, don’t know and so on. The previous social and educational survey conducted in 2015 by the H Kantharaj-led backward classes commission was criticised by the dominant Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, who accused it of being “unscientific” and “undercounting” their numbers. According to the Jayaprakash Hegde Commission’s report, based on the 2015 survey, the Lingayat population was estimated at 66.35 lakh. The report was set aside by the government in June. </p>.<p>Explaining that people should give their consent only after ascertaining that the enumerators had taken down the right information, Khandre added that official information would be provided after the backward classes commission releases its handbook on the survey. The minister clarified that the caste certificate given for reservation purposes wasn’t related to the information provided during the survey. “The caste certificate is provided only after ascertaining the actual caste through school admission and other documents. Thus, everyone should register their actual caste and ensure that the actual numbers of the community emerge.”</p>.<p>During the 2015 survey, there were some allegations that the overall number of Veerashaiva Lingayats had “decreased” due to some sub-community members, such as Ganiga, Sadar, registering alongside Hindu Ganiga or Hindu Sadar instead of mentioning that they were sub-castes of Veerashiava Lingayats. Khandre urged everyone to participate in the survey actively.</p>.<p class="CrossHead">‘Separate religion status’ </p>.<p>The Mahasabha’s state unit president Shankar Bidari explained that there was a need to consider Veerashaiva Lingayats as a “separate religion.” Bidari added: “Our community has backward, more backward and most backward people. Thus the poor pursuing different occupations should be classified in appropriate categories through a transparent enumeration.”</p>.<p>Quote - </p>.<p>shankar bidari<br />State unit president All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha</p>.<p>“Our community has backward more backward and most backward people. Thus the poor pursuing different occupations should be classified in appropriate categories through a transparent enumeration.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: With a fortnight left for the social and educational survey (caste census), All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha general secretary Eshwar B Khandre urged fellow Lingayats on Sunday to enumerate their religion as ‘Veerashaiva Lingayat’ under the others column. </p>.<p>Addressing a press conference, Khandre, who is also the forest, ecology and environment minister, said: “Everyone has to participate in the survey. For the religion, they should mention as Veerashaiva Lingayat in the ‘others’ column. For the caste, mention as Veerashaiva or Lingayat or Veerashaiva Lingayat. For sub-castes, they should ascertain the serial numbers and then register.”</p>.<p>The religion column includes 11 entries, including Hindu, Islam, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, Atheist, don’t know and so on. The previous social and educational survey conducted in 2015 by the H Kantharaj-led backward classes commission was criticised by the dominant Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, who accused it of being “unscientific” and “undercounting” their numbers. According to the Jayaprakash Hegde Commission’s report, based on the 2015 survey, the Lingayat population was estimated at 66.35 lakh. The report was set aside by the government in June. </p>.<p>Explaining that people should give their consent only after ascertaining that the enumerators had taken down the right information, Khandre added that official information would be provided after the backward classes commission releases its handbook on the survey. The minister clarified that the caste certificate given for reservation purposes wasn’t related to the information provided during the survey. “The caste certificate is provided only after ascertaining the actual caste through school admission and other documents. Thus, everyone should register their actual caste and ensure that the actual numbers of the community emerge.”</p>.<p>During the 2015 survey, there were some allegations that the overall number of Veerashaiva Lingayats had “decreased” due to some sub-community members, such as Ganiga, Sadar, registering alongside Hindu Ganiga or Hindu Sadar instead of mentioning that they were sub-castes of Veerashiava Lingayats. Khandre urged everyone to participate in the survey actively.</p>.<p class="CrossHead">‘Separate religion status’ </p>.<p>The Mahasabha’s state unit president Shankar Bidari explained that there was a need to consider Veerashaiva Lingayats as a “separate religion.” Bidari added: “Our community has backward, more backward and most backward people. Thus the poor pursuing different occupations should be classified in appropriate categories through a transparent enumeration.”</p>.<p>Quote - </p>.<p>shankar bidari<br />State unit president All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha</p>.<p>“Our community has backward more backward and most backward people. Thus the poor pursuing different occupations should be classified in appropriate categories through a transparent enumeration.</p>
