Why Karnataka Caste Census Is Not Out Yet

Muralidhara Khajane

Even as the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced that his government will undertake a socio-economic survey of all castes and communities, former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged the BJP government to accept socio-economic survey or popularly known as caste census conducted by the Kantharaj Commission.

Besides demanding the Centre to conduct a caste census nationally, Nitish Kumar even sought financial help to carry out the exercise, which is likely to cost the exchequer heavily. A few days ago Nitish Kumar led an all-party delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded a caste census, but it bore no fruit.

Coincidentally, Nitish Kumar and Bihar’s opposition leader Tejaswi Yadav are on the same page on the issue of caste census and have been defending their stand by stating that the empirical data collected during the census will form the base for preparing welfare programmes for those left behind in the economic development over the years.

In this context, Karnataka Opposition Leader Siddaramaiah’s demand to the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government to accept the Kantharaj Commission report has been construed as a shrewd political move.

Addressing a convention of the Bhovi community in Bengaluru recently, Siddharamaiah stated that the commission report is ready, but the government has not accepted it. It should be noted that Siddaramaiah has been facing criticism for not accepting the commission’s report during his tenure though it was ready in 2018 itself.

It was in April 2015 that the Congress government headed by Siddaramaiah commissioned a socio-economic caste census in Karnataka at a cost of Rs 169 cr to assess the status of various caste groups in Karnataka. The census panel was led by H Kantharaj, the then chairman of the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission. It was the first such grand exercise after 84 years. For, the last caste census in the state was held in 1931.

There is an urgent need for the government to accept the commission report as the Supreme Court has been repeatedly stressing on the lack of official data on socio-economical and educational status of various communities in the state.

With the elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) round the corner, 33% of seats have to be reserved for Other Backward Castes (OBC) and 18% for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories.

The polls to the civic body were initially delayed after the BJP government decided to increase the number of wards from 198 to 243 through delimitation. However, the state government stated that the polls were delayed as the Supreme Court sought the empirical data.This is one of the reasons for the Congress to urge the government to accept the report.

Divided Congress

But BJP leaders rely on the differences in Congress camp to counter Congress. They ask why Siddaramaiah did not accept the commission’s report when he was in power in 2018. They even allege that Siddaramaiah did not release the report because of pressure from Congress leaders and ministers in his cabinet who feared a backlash in the 2018 assembly polls.

The renewed political debate over the caste census has become a stumbling block for Congress just when it needs a united house to devise strategies for the 2023 assembly elections. It is pertinent to note that Congress leaders from Veerashaiva Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities do not want the report to be accepted.

Lingayat Religion

It may be recalled that the Congress had indirectly supported a campaign for a separate religious identity for Lingayats in 2018. However, many political experts and Congress leaders still believe that the move had backfired in the assembly elections.

BJP utilised this opportunity to brand Siddaramaiah as “divider of religion”. Senior Congress functionaries and Veerashaiva Lingayat leaders, Shamanur Shivashankarappa and Eshwara Khandre are believed to be not in favour of the caste census. But, Siddaramaiah remains adamant and consistently argues that the census was commissioned to ensure social justice. He is all set to raise the issue in the coming assembly session.

Siddaramaiah stand has become unswallowable for many party leaders, especially Lingayats and Vokkaligas.

Moily Committee report

Even now Congress functionaries are worried about the consequences of raising the issue. They feel that such an action will be detrimental to the party’s chances in 2023. Congress high command, who is banking on Siddaramaiah’s leadership to bring the party back to power, is not ready to take any chances. It has constituted a committee under the chairmanship of senior leader M Veerappa Moily to study the impact of the caste cens