Latest news with #BedaJangamas
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Internal quota likely by June: Ex-minister
Ballari: Former minister H Anjaneya said he was optimistic that the survey to fix internal quota for Scheduled Caste communities will be completed by the end of May and the internal reservation matrix would be declared in June. At a press conference Sunday, he said: "Some Beda Jangamas are trying to claim benefits meant for Scheduled Castes. If a fraudulent certificate is obtained, both issuer and the recipient will face imprisonment. We cannot remain passive if they attempt to infringe upon rights of Madigas. This issue has already been reported to the Commission." He said the struggle to fix internal reservation has been going on for the past 35 years and blamed it on a lack of population data. He said: "The Prime Minister has now consented to a caste census because Rahul Gandhi pushed for one. The state and Union govts must demonstrate their commitment in this matter [caste census and internal reservation]. Following the current caste census, there would be unanimous support for the decision to establish internal reservation," he said. However, he acknowledged the difficulty of the task saying: "In some regions, SCs practice Christianity and Buddhism. These individuals must accurately record their original caste."
News18
21-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Karnataka's Caste Conundrum: Rampant Certification Misuse For Reservation Benefits Emerges
Last Updated: Speaking on the Scheduled Caste survey being conducted by the state government, experts say there is an urgent need for accurate data collection and precise statistics When Congress president and Rajya Sabha's leader of opposition Mallikarjun Kharge objected to the inclusion of the Beda Jangama community under the Scheduled Castes (SC) category—warning it could dilute the rights of historically marginalised Dalits—he did more than just raise an alarm. He highlighted a deeper conundrum that Karnataka now faces. At the heart of the issue lies a technical misinterpretation arising from the misuse of caste certification for reservation benefits. The problem with identifying communities among the 101 Scheduled Castes for internal reservation (Madiga or Non-Madigas) stems from the lack of a mechanism to verify whether persons claiming to be Beda Jangama truly belong to that community through their ancestors or have misused the system by converting themselves into that category to gain reservation benefits. It is alleged that a forward, priestly class within the Veerashaiva Lingayats, called the Beda Jangamas, are misusing the name 'Beda" with a slight pronunciation difference in Kannada to obtain caste certificates and SC benefits. The Beda Jangamas are hunters who lead a nomadic life and follow a non-vegetarian diet. There is another community called the Bedavu Jangamas among the Veerashaiva Lingayats, who are considered the uppermost caste within the group. They belong to a priestly class and, as part of their religious ritual, are seen begging for food. They are not beggars, but perform this act as part of their religious practice, explains Indudhara Honnapura, a political commentator and one of the founding members of the Dalit Sangharsha Samiti in Karnataka. On the issue of the ongoing Scheduled Caste survey being conducted by the state government, he added that there is an urgent need for accurate data collection and precise statistics. Speaking to News18, senior political analyst D Umapathy traced the origin of the controversy back to the 1961 Census, when the Beda and Budga Jangamas were listed as a nomadic tribe with just 4,651 members. 'In the early 1980s, some Lingayat Jangamas called themselves name of Beda Jangamas, purely to claim reservation benefits," he said. The 2015 socio-economic and education survey conducted by the Backward Classes Commission showed a dramatic rise in the population of Beda/Budga Jangamas. 'If we apply a standard population growth rate of 9 per cent, the numbers would still be in the thousands—but today they're in lakhs, suggesting an unnatural surge," Umapathy said. Here is another conundrum—the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission does not have the authority to verify whether someone claiming to be from the Beda Jangama community actually belongs to it. 'The commission cannot decide which man belongs to which caste. That does not fall under their purview. They can only collect statistics; they cannot verify them," said Honnapura. According to him, the verification of caste claims is not within the commission's domain. 'The caste certificate is issued by the tehsildar, and verification is conducted by the deputy commissioner. Verifying the caste certificate authenticity falls under the DC's authority, not the commission," he explained. Former chairman of the Backward Classes Commission, Jayaprakash Hegde, said that the Nagamohan Das Commission's officials on the field—who are collecting data through a door-to-door survey—should check if the claims made under this category are genuine. Jayaprakash Hegde told News18 that simply declaring oneself as Beda Jangama in a survey does not guarantee inclusion in the Scheduled Castes category. 'Some of them have listed their class name as Beda Jangama. But that has to be verified. Even if their name appears in the survey, they must prove they belong to the Beda Jangama community to get the certificate," he said. He explained that ancestral lineage is key to such claims. 'To get a caste certificate, a candidate's father must also have a Beda Jangama certificate. Without that, it cannot be issued. They may try to get included in the survey list, but that alone is not enough." Hegde added that the final authority lies with the verification process. 'There is a Caste Verification Committee chaired by the deputy commissioner. They will verify each case. Even if someone claims the identity in the survey, it does not automatically make it to the official list." The former chairman of the Backward Classes Commission also said that this exercise is not just to find the total numbers in various castes, but for backward elevation. 'Backward elevation is very important to us rather than the number game," Hegde said. 'It can't be corrected—that is the biggest challenge," said Honnapura, pointing to the near impossibility of verification by the commission. 'This is a curious situation—neither can it be corrected, nor can it be verified." On a question as to the inflated numbers in the caste survey list, Hegde points out that there is a need for transparency. There was also a controversy in the case where BJP leader MP Renukacharya had admitted that his estranged brother had falsely obtained a Scheduled Caste (SC) certificate in his daughter's name, causing a stir. Renukacharya said his family belongs to the Lingayat community. 'There was a complaint against Renukacharya for having obtained a Beda Jangama certificate. Unless the officers cooperate, that would not have happened," pointed out Jayaprakash. Kharge's comments in Hospet, during the Siddaramaiah government's second anniversary celebrations, publicly questioned the government's handling of these SC surveys. 'We will support the poor from the Lingayat community. But how did Beda Jangamas, who were just 500 earlier, suddenly grow to 4–5 lakh?" he asked, taking a pointed dig at the caste census exercise. His concerns echo those of activists who have raised red flags over the misuse of the Beda Jangama name by Veerashaiva Jangamas—a priestly subsect of the Lingayat community traditionally listed as OBC in Karnataka. According to Indudhara, the names may sound similar, but their social realities are vastly different. Umapathy recalls a case in the Hubballi-Dharwad bench of the Karnataka High Court, where a person belonging to the Lingayat Jangama community applied for a certificate under the Beda Jangama category. In this case, the investigating officer from the tehsildar's office submitted a report stating that the request could not be processed because the applicant was not actually a Beda Jangama. The matter then went to the High Court, which also ruled in favour of the tehsildar. The petitioner subsequently requested the court to direct the tehsildar to cancel his Lingayat Jangama certificate and issue a Beda Jangama certificate instead, which was outrightly refused. 'There is rampant misuse of caste certificates, and this is an example of it," said Umapathy. Historical records show that the original Beda Jangamas migrated from Andhra Pradesh and that just eight families had settled in Karnataka after the Reorganisation of States. The Federation of Various Dalit Associations has repeatedly demanded the cancellation of wrongly issued caste certificates and criminal action against those who faked documents. They have also alleged that families of BJP leaders Mahanthesh Kavatagimath and MP Renukacharya obtained Beda Jangama certificates by misusing their influence. 'This is unfair," said Kharge. 'If Beda Jangamas are included among the SCs, it will go against the untouchable Scheduled Castes. Is this being done to take away SC rights, one by one?" Political analyst Umapathy alleged that this manipulation came from a forward, priestly class within the Lingayats, who are trying to bypass the system. 'This must stop," he said, pointing out how Congress cabinet minister H Muniyappa has also flagged the issue. Muniyappa, an SC leader who holds the food and civil supplies portfolio, also raised concerns over certain Lingayat groups misusing the Beda Jangama identity to corner SC benefits. 'This can't be brushed aside," he said. 'Genuine SC communities are being hurt by this misuse." Meanwhile, the Siddaramaiah-led state government has been moving forward with its caste census and internal reservation agenda. On May 5, the chief minister launched a door-to-door enumeration of all 101 SC sub-castes. Around 65,000 teachers will be involved in the process, alongside special camps and online registration. A panel led by Justice HN Nagamohan Das for the internal reservation is expected to analyse the data and submit its report within two months. The aim is to categorise SCs—just as Congress-ruled Telangana has done—into three internal quota segments, to ensure the most disadvantaged groups get their fair share. The caste census, which is being done to understand how different sub-castes are spread within the Scheduled Castes (SC), is facing some challenges. Justice HN Nagamohan Das said that in some poor and marginalised households, people are not coming forward to share details about their castes. He also pointed out that many people are not fully aware of their sub-caste. 'Some who have taken certificates as Adi Karnataka or Adi Dravida don't realise that those are actually their original castes. In other cases, people know their sub-caste but don't see it in the list. And some just don't want to reveal it even though they know," he said. A door-to-door survey is being conducted, and special booth-level camps will be held between May 26 and May 28. According to the commission, around 19.55 lakh households out of a projected 25.72 lakh SC households in Karnataka have been covered in the survey, and they hope to cover as many households as possible within the timeframe. Kharge used his platform at the Hospet rally to urge caution, while also claiming that it was Rahul Gandhi's push that had compelled the BJP-led Centre to include a caste column in the national census. top videos View all 'When Rahul Gandhi demanded a caste census, he was mocked. Now the union cabinet has agreed. This is due to our fight," Kharge declared, warning the state Congress leadership not to mishandle the process. 'Do it properly. Don't let anyone malign Rahul Gandhi or take credit." But the data itself is revealing. The 2015–2017 socio-economic survey by the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission listed Beda Jangamas under both Lingayats (50,242) and Scheduled Castes (3.82 lakh). With Dalits forming about 19% of Karnataka's population, these figures are now being questioned. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : BJP caste congress karnataka reservation Location : Bengaluru, India, India First Published: May 21, 2025, 21:44 IST News india Karnataka's Caste Conundrum: Rampant Certification Misuse For Reservation Benefits Emerges
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Mallikarjun Kharge puts Siddaramaiah in a spot over SC survey, calls inclusion of OBC group ‘unfair'
The All India Congress Committee (AICC)'s president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday raised concerns over the ongoing survey of the Scheduled Caste (SC) sub-castes in Karnataka being carried out by the Siddaramaiah-led party government, saying that the inclusion of the Beda Jangama group in the SC list would be against the interest of the Dalit community. Kharge's criticism came at a public rally held at Hospet in Vijayanagar district to mark the second anniversary of the Congress government in the state. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar were also present at the event. Noting that the Siddaramaiah government has taken steps to implement sub-quotas for the SC communities, Kharge pointed to the inclusion of the Beda Jangama group among the SC communities, saying that it belonged to the Lingayat community listed as part of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the state. 'We will support the poor of the Lingayat community and support them. But, after including Beda Jangamas in the SC list, how did their numbers grow from just 500 to around four to five lakh now,' the Congress chief said in a question pointed at the Siddaramaiah government. 'This is unfair. If Beda Jangamas are included among the SCs, it will go against the untouchable SCs,' Kharge said, asking whether the move was allegedly aimed at 'taking away the rights of the SCs one by one'. 'To help the people, internal SC reservation is being introduced by the state government. At this juncture, if attempts are being made to fail this by including other castes then it will neither help the state nor the country,' Kharge added. According to the socio-economic and educational survey or caste survey – conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes (KSCBC) in 2015-2017 during Siddaramaiah's first tenure as the CM – the Beda Jangama group has been included among both the Lingayat and SC communities. As per the caste survey, Beda Jangamas classified under the Lingayat category numbered 50,242, while those from the group under the SC category numbered 3.82 lakh. Dalits account for 19% population of Karnataka. The row has stemmed from the charge that many Beda Jangamas listed under the Lingayat category were allegedly issued 'fake SC caste certificates' in parts of North Karnataka because of sharing a common caste name. Last November, the Siddaramiah government constituted the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission on internal reservation for the SCs. Kharge's remarks came even as this Commission is supervising a state-wide survey of the SC sub-castes being carried out by the government since May 5. The internal SC survey is based on the Commission's interim report submitted to the government last month, which found that there was no empirical data on various SC sub-castes including the SC(left), SC(right), touchables and others. Kharge also warned the government that the KSCBC's caste survey report, which is currently being discussed by the Siddaramaiah Cabinet, would 'cause problems in the entire state if the exercise was carried out just to take credit'. 'I want to say something clearly. Do the survey. But it should be done properly and Rahul Gandhi should not get a bad name out of this,' he said. At its last meeting on May 9, the Siddaramaiah Cabinet had again deferred any decision on the caste survey to facilitate more extensive discussions among the ministers on the issue. In the April 18 special Cabinet meeting, Siddaramaiah directed all his 34 ministers to provide their opinions on the report in writing for a thorough discussion. However, only about 12 ministers have given their opinions so far. There is a strong push from the Congress's OBC leaders for the government to accept the report which indicates that 70% of the state population belongs to the OBCs. There has however been resistance from the state's dominant communities like Lingayats and Vokkaligas – and their leaders including those in the Congress – to the caste survey, which has put their populations to be 13.6% and 12.2% – lesser than their estimated populations of 15% and 17% respectively.
The Hindu
18-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
False caste claims: Issue of Lingayat-Jangamas claiming to be Beda Jangamas to get reservation benefit comes to fore again
A huge jump in the population of Beda Jangama community during the enumeration for Socio-Economic and Educational Survey conducted by H. Kantharaj-headed Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes had raised eye brows and was seen as caused by many belonging to Lingayat Jangamas allegedly counting themselves as Beda Jangamas. The reservation benefits that Beda Jangamas or Buduga Jangamas, a community that is part of notified Scheduled Castes (SC) list, was seen as a reason for many Jangamas, coming under the larger Veerashaiava-Lingayats grouping, classified as other backward classes (OBCs), choosing to identify themselves as Beda Jangama, which is among the nomadic SCs. In the court As enumeration of SCs for the purpose of internal reservation is under way, controversies surrounding Beda Jangama claims have emerged again. While the Food and Civil Supplies Minister K.H. Muniyappa has flagged the issue of Lingayats counting themselves wrongly to avail reservation benefits, the Beda Jangama community itself went to court flagging another issue. It called 'discriminatory' the retired judge H.N. Nagmohan Das-led Commission on Internal Reservation making showing of caste certificates mandatory for the community members during enumeration. They pointed out that the Beda Jangama caste certificate issual had been stopped for several years, following the 'fake certificate' controversy, and therefore, many genuine community members also did not have certificates. Nagmohan Das Commission may seek change of names of certain Scheduled Caste communities that are used as cuss words in Karnataka 'Though we initially made caste certificate mandatory for Beda Jangamas because of the problems associated with a number of community members holding caste certificate. However, later, we made any one of the three – caste certificate, Aaadhaar or BPL cards - to be mandatory during enumeration,' commission sources said. Mr. Nagmohan Das also acknowledged that the higher number of Beda Jangamas in the survey could upset the balance. 'There is a standard benchmark to track population growth. Any huge increase should be noted. It is up to the government to decide,' he told presspersons recently. He also said that the survey cannot keep out those who have caste certificate. Wading into the controversy is also Food and Civil Supplies Minister K.H. Muniyappa, who has flagged the issue both to the commission and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. 'It has come to notice in recent years that Veerashaiva-Linagayat Jangamas, who are culturally and socially different from Beda Jangamas, are taking caste certificate and enjoying the benefit of reservation. Only the Telugu speaking nomadic Beda Jangamas should be counted in the survey,' he said. 'Abnormal increase' Pointing out at 'abnormal increase' in the population of Beda Jangama community, the Minister said that the population, which was 5,141 in 1961 general census, had increased to 4,10,804 by 2015 when the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes conducted the survey. He pointed out that this Telugu speaking community found in the border districts of Bidar, Kalburgi, Yadgiri, Raichur and Ballari are a meat-eating, nomadic community of soothsayers, who seek alms from Holeya and Madiga community and perform rituals for their members. 'They are initiated into priesthood to conduct rituals by the Mala Jangama seers,' he said. 'The enumeration of Beda Jangamas that would include Lingayat Jangamas also is a dangerous trend. They may consider inclusion of the survey as a proof of they being SCs. In the long run, this will affect political representation too. The government needs to take a stern call on taking action against this,' said Basavaraj Kowthal of Madiga Samudaya Jagrithi Andolana, representing Dalit (left) caste. D. Chandrashekaraiah of Chalavadi Mahasabha, representing Dalit (right), also urged the government to take action against those who are claiming to be Beda Jangama.
