Dominant communities express reservation over Karnataka caste report

Bengaluru: While the caste census report is set to be discussed at the special cabinet meeting to be chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on April 17, several communities have expressed their reservations, a number of others have opposed it and sought a fresh exercise.

The Karnataka Rajya Vokkaliga Sangha president B Kenchappa Gowda told reporters that the survey report is faulty.

"This survey report has no basis. It's outright faulty. It has been done based on the 2011 census, which is meaningless in today's context. Further, no one from our community ever saw enumerators but yet the caste census was conducted, which itself raises doubt," Gowda, who belongs to the dominant Vokkaliga community, said.

Jagadika Lingayat Mahasabha principal general secretary S M Jamdar, who is a retired IAS officer, said the caste census was illegal and defective.

"My stand has been that the state government has no power to conduct a census under the Census of India Act. Only the Government of India can do it and they have not done it after 1931 till this day. Any authority other than the GoI does the census then it's illegal," he pointed out.

Jamdar explained that when an entire population is surveyed then it's called a census and when a small part of the population is covered then it's called a sample survey.

"To do a good sample survey one has to cover the entire sample but in this survey (by the state government) 25 to 30 per cent of the sample was left out. That's why the data is defective," he noted.

According to him, there was cheating by the people for the purpose of availing reservation for their children's education and employment during the survey.

He said people included their castes in the backward communities to avail reservation benefits.

Lingayats are another major community in Karnataka who hold sway in the state.

Basavaprabhu Swamiji, who is in charge of the Murugha Matha in Chitradurga, said, "We will wait for the recommendations to come out in public to take a decision on this. We have to see whether it is favourable or against us. The Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha will take a final call on it." The contentious Socio-Economic and Educational Survey, caste census in short, was submitted before the state cabinet on Friday.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil told reporters after the cabinet meeting that the caste census report has been submitted and there will be a detailed discussion on it in the 'special cabinet meeting' on April 17.

The voluminous caste census report is spread in 50 volumes. The state government has spent Rs 165 crore on the survey, according to the Karnataka Minister for Backward Classes Development Shivaraj Tangadagi.

He also said the state government has signed an agreement worth Rs 43 crore with the Bharat Electronics Limited to manage the caste census data.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has ruled out that any minister was against the report. He said any decision on this will be taken after due deliberations.