Amid concerns raised by stakeholders, Karnataka to hold fresh caste survey
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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, LoP in the Lok Sabha and party leader Rahul Gandhi, and party leader KC Venugopal with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar during a meeting at the party HQ | Photo: PTI
New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced that his government will conduct a new caste survey within 90 days, aiming to address concerns raised by various stakeholders.
This decision follows a meeting in New Delhi where Siddaramaiah, along with Deputy Chief Minister and PCC President DK Shivakumar, held discussions with the Congress leadership.
Party leaders reportedly conveyed that the earlier caste census report, submitted in 2015, was accepted in principle. However, some religious leaders, community organisations, and even a few ministers expressed reservations about its relevance and accuracy. In response to these concerns, the state government has decided to proceed with a fresh enumeration.
The announcement also came in the backdrop of discussions surrounding recent incidents in the state, including the June 4 stampede in Bengaluru.
The move to conduct a fresh caste survey comes just ahead of the Karnataka Cabinet meeting scheduled for June 12, where the controversial social and educational survey report, released in April, is set to be discussed. Despite being reviewed in three previous Cabinet meetings, the government has not been able to arrive at a consensus on the report, TNIE reported.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar indicated that the decision to redo the caste census is aimed at addressing concerns raised by various communities regarding the credibility of the existing data. He mentioned that the government is planning to finalise the framework for the resurvey during the upcoming Cabinet session.
According to Shivakumar, data for the new enumeration will be gathered both through door-to-door visits and an online platform. He emphasized that the process would be carried out transparently, with efforts made to resolve all issues linked to the earlier census. The inclusion of an online option, he added, would allow even those living outside Karnataka to participate in the survey.
The opposition and party leaders have criticised the state government for using 'unscientific data'. Several leaders from the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities rejected the report, claiming their numbers were lower than previously extrapolated. While the census estimated that the entire population of backward classes was 70%, Lingayats accounted for approximately 11% and Vokkaligas for 10.29%.
