Karnataka: Post backlash, panel 'hides' 33 'Christian castes' in list

Bengaluru: The Backward Classes Commission has decided to ‘hide’ the names of 33 Christian castes that have Hindu caste names as suffixes or prefixes in the enumerators’ list, during the upcoming social and educational survey (caste census) beginning on Monday.

Backward Classes Commission chairman Madhusudan R Naik announced this at a press conference here on Sunday.

Among 38 communities related to Christians, 33 have been hidden, including Kuruba Christian, Ediga Christian, Madivala Christian, Vokkaliga Christian and Reddy (Raddy) Christian.

The remaining five classifications (Christian, Christian Protestant, Protestant Christian, Syrian Christian and Scheduled Caste converts to Christianity) have been retained as it is. 

Though these castes will be “hidden” in the dropdown, the commission clarified that people can enumerate as any caste they wish, when asked if their caste/religion is known by any other name. 

K A Dayananda, member secretary of the Backward Classes Commission, said that the current list of 1,561 castes (which includes the 33 ‘hidden’ castes) was only for the clarity of the enumerators and not the final list of the commission. 

He clarified that only 101 SC, 50 ST and 887 other castes were in the official list, and that all other castes were merely for the enumerators’ convenience.

“Steps have been taken to resolve unnecessary controversies. The commission has not created any castes. These were there during the previous years and we have provided them in the drop-down for the convenience of the surveyors to identify castes easily. This is only for the internal usage of the surveyors. It’s not a public document and has no legal sanctity,” a press note by the commission said.

The note said that after the survey is over, the commission will analyse the data collected and then submit its report to the government, on the facilities to be provided to different communities.  However, Dayananda and Naik clarified that those who had converted will be categorised under the new religion itself.    

The decision to “hide” these categories came after the Cabinet was divided on the issue on Thursday, following which some ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, met members of the backward classes commission and spoke to them on these issues.