Fresh caste census in Karnataka: Panel preps for fresh survey even as Congress faces Ahinda anger

Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes is likely to start formal discussions on conducting a fresh Social & Educational Survey next week even as angry voices emerged criticising the Congress government's decision to shelve the caste census done in 2015.

Commission chairperson Madhusudan R Naik is anticipating the appointment of five members to his team by the government in the next couple of days.

"A formal meeting will be held either on June 16 or 19 to take the process forward," Naik, a former advocate-general, told DH. "Informal meetings are being held with persons who were previously involved (in the survey)," he added.

The Cabinet on Thursday decided to conduct a fresh 90-day survey on the grounds that the one done in 2015 was outdated. The Cabinet relied on Section 11 of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Act, which empowers the government to review the status of backward castes every 10 years.

The decision has invited the wrath of the Ahinda -- a political grouping comprising minorities, backward classes and Dalits.

"Didn't the government know that enumeration was done 10 years back? They (Congress) took our votes and are now cheating us," Federation of Karnataka Depressed Communities chief convener K M Ramachandrappa said. The federation has called for an all-hands meet on June 19.

Ramachandrappa accused the Congress of not making the 2015 report public to placate the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities. "They opposed the report. What's the guarantee that they won't continue their opposition?" he asked. In the new survey, Ramachandrappa said the government must ensure that Lingayats and Vokkaligas do not inflate their population.

Once a member of Siddaramaiah's kitchen cabinet, former union minister CM Ibrahim is miffed. "The CM became helpless and said it was the high command's decision. As CM, he should've put his foot down. The new survey will be a waste of taxpayers' money and human resources," he said, adding that the government should still revert to the 2015 report.

Slamming the decision to conduct a fresh survey, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) state president Abdul Majeed called it a "politically-driven" move at the behest of "a few casteist Lingayat and Vokkaliga leaders who have no faith in the idea of social justice. He added, "Ironically, these communities are not even core vote banks of the Congress."