Karnataka dominant communities join forces to oppose caste survey report
The Karnataka Rajya Vokkaligara Sangha, the apex body of the dominant Vokkaliga community, is exploring an alliance with the Lingayat community's Veerashaiva Mahasabha to oppose the recommendations of the caste census report in Karnataka.Both Lingayats and Vokkaligas are influential and dominant in Karnataka's political landscape. They have been particularly instrumental for politicians during election seasons.The two influential groups are now looking to jointly counter any attempts to implement the findings of the 'Social and Educational Survey Report,' which was presented to the state cabinet on April 11.advertisement
Kenchappa Gowda, president of the Vokkaligara Sangha, confirmed ongoing discussions between the two communities.'We are in constant touch with Veerashaiva Mahasabha leaders. We are planning to hold a meeting, but the date has not been finalised yet,' Gowda told news agency PTI.A Veerashaiva Mahasabha office-bearer also echoed this sentiment, adding that the talks are focused on devising strategies to pressurise the government into reconsidering the caste census report.'The discussions are mainly to decide strategies to build pressure on the government not to proceed with the caste census report recommendations and to demand a fresh, free, and fair survey,' the office-bearer stated, requesting anonymity.The caste census report, which was presented to the Karnataka cabinet last month, has faced resistance from both the Vokkaligara Sangha and the Veerashaiva-Lingayat communities, two of the state's largest social groups. These communities argue that the report, after being commissioned ten years ago, does not adequately represent their interests and needs a thorough review.advertisementThe report, which was submitted to the state government by Jayaprakash Hegde, chairperson of the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission, has stirred significant controversy in the state. Following its presentation to the cabinet, a special meeting was called on April 17, where it was decided that the matter would be revisited at a cabinet meeting scheduled for May 2.
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Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Cong brass ordered new caste survey: K'taka CM
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Principally the report is accepted, only re-enumeration will be done,' Siddaramaiah said. Following a meeting of the Congress leadership on Tuesday, Siddaramaiah said that a fresh caste survey will be conducted to address complaints from several communities who alleged that they were either excluded or underrepresented in the controversial 2015 exercise. The meeting came after weeks of discontent over the findings of the caste survey originally carried out in 2015 at a cost of ₹162 crore during Siddaramaiah's earlier tenure as chief minister. Several ministers, MLAs, and MPs had raised objections, citing that the data did not fully represent the diverse caste composition of the state. Siddaramaiah, a key AHINDA (a Kannada acronym for Alpasankhyataru or minorities, Hindulidavaru or backward classes, and Dalitaru or Dalits) leader, pointed out that a number of stakeholders — including religious leaders, community organisations, and even members of his cabinet — had raised doubts about the comprehensiveness of the original report. Criticism of the survey has intensified in the recent months, particularly from influential community groups. The Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats, Karnataka's two dominant communities, strongly objected to the findings, demanding that the report be scrapped and a fresh survey conducted. Asked if he was disappointed with the party high command's directive for re-enumeration instead of acting on the report under the consideration of the cabinet, he said, 'We will go by the high command's decision. It is not my decision, it is not the decision of the cabinet or our government, it is a decision of the high command. 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Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Doubts arise over completing caste census afresh in 90 days
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Economic Times
14 hours ago
- Economic Times
Karnataka to conduct fresh caste re-enumeration in 60-70 days: CM Siddaramaiah
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a fresh caste re-enumeration. The Congress high command directed this action. It addresses concerns from communities excluded in the 2015-16 survey. The re-enumeration will take about 60-70 days. The previous report is principally accepted. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said the data is old. Vokkaligas and Veershaiva-Lingayats raised reservations. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said his government will conduct a fresh caste re-enumeration exercise in the state in about 60 to 70 days, following a directive from the Congress high to official sources, the modalities for the re-enumeration are likely to be discussed during the cabinet meeting on Congress top brass on Tuesday directed the state government to undertake a caste re-enumeration in Karnataka to address the concerns of certain communities who claimed that they were excluded from the caste survey conducted 10 years ago."The high command said that some complaints have come because the survey had happened in 2015-16, it has almost been nine-ten years old. So in a short period, in about 60-70 days a re-enumeration will be done. We are not rejecting the entire report (given by the Backward CLasses Commission). Principally the report is accepted, only re-enumeration will be done," Siddarmaiah told reporters in if he was disappointed with the party high command's directive for re-enumeration instead of acting on the report under the consideration of the cabinet, he said, "We will go by the high command's decision. It is not my decision, it is not the decision of the cabinet or our government, it is a decision of the high command. High command has asked for re-enumeration." The decision comes even as the Social and Educational Survey report, popularly known as 'caste census' was under the consideration of the state media in Kalaburagi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said re-enumeration is essential as the data available is 10 years old."The criterias that were used in the earlier survey will remain, along with that if anything was left out it will be added. But the re-survey is essential because the data available is ten years old and in ten years many have come into OBC, many were added. So considering all these things a fresh survey has to be done, nothing other than that," he communities, especially Karnataka's two dominant ones -- Vokkaligas and Veershaiva-Lingayats -- have expressed strong reservations about the caste survey that has been done, calling it "unscientific", and have been demanding that it be rejected, and a fresh survey be were also raised by various sections of the society, and there are also strong voices against it from within the ruling a long wait, the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes' survey report was placed before the cabinet for the first time on April Siddaramaiah-led Congress government (2013-2018) had in 2015 commissioned the survey in the State Backward Classes Commission, under its then chairperson H Kantharaju, was tasked with preparing a caste census survey work was completed in 2018 towards the end of Siddaramaiah's first tenure as Chief Minister, and the report was finalised by Kantharaju's successor K Jayaprakash Hegde in February 2024.
