Now, even Brahmins dispute Karnataka caste report findings

The Social and Educational Survey has counted 15.64 lakh Brahmins, the social ‘upper castes’, which has been disputed by the community’s leaders who say their numbers are in excess of 42 lakh.

The Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Mahasabha said it would wait for the government’s decision on the survey, also known as caste census, at the Cabinet meeting scheduled today (April 17), before charting out its protest plan. 

A total of 11.85 lakh people enumerated themselves as just ‘Brahmana’. The remaining 3.79 lakh are divided among 58 sub-castes. 

Former Karnataka State Brahmin Development Board (KSBDB) chairperson H S Sachidananda Murthy insists that there are 42.5 lakh Brahmins in the state. “I was the KSBDB chairperson for three years and I got surveys done,” he said. “If numbers become the basis for the formulation of government programmes, then we will suffer injustice,” he said. 

According to outgoing Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Mahasabha president Ashok Harnahalli, there should be about 45 lakh Brahmins in the state. “We’ve been saying that the data on Brahmins is incorrect,” he said. 

The most populous sub-caste is the Goud Saraswat Brahmins at 1.14 lakh followed by Havyaka Brahmins (86,595). The survey found 23,249 Smartha and 13,302 Madhva Brahmins. In 2015, when the survey was carried out, there were 36 Kashmiri Pandits in the state. 

“This so-called ‘caste survey’ is nothing more than a politically-motivated document, riddled with manipulated figures designed to serve a narrow agenda,” said BJP spokesperson Vijay Prasad, an Iyengar whose community is shown to have 12,070 people.

There is also confusion and dispute over sub-castes carrying the ‘Brahmin’ nomenclature - Daivagnya Brahmin, Daivanga Brahmin and Viswa Brahmin - that come under Category-2A of the OBC list. The survey enumerated 80,155 Daivagnya, 5,420 Daivanga and 32,553 Viswa Brahmins. These groups are classified under the Vishwakarma community. 

“Viswa Brahmins are actually Brahmins whereas Daivagnyas are Vishwakarmas,” Murthy said. 

Murthy also pointed out that some Brahmins, especially Srivaishnavas, have enumerated themselves under Category-3B. These include groups with nomenclatures like Satani, Chattada Srivaishnava, Chattada Vaishnava, Sattada Vaishnava and Sattada Srivaishnava.