Caste census will be placed before Cabinet for discussion: Parameshwara

Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Sunday said the government has decided to place the much awaited Socio-Economic and Education Survey report, popularly known as the “caste census” before the Cabinet, where it will be discussed and decided whether to table it in the legislature or to make it public directly.

Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes under its then Chairman K Jayaprakash Hegde on February 29, had submitted the report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The report was submitted amid objections by certain sections of society and also within the ruling Congress.

Karnataka’s two dominant communities — Vokkaliags and Lingayats — have expressed reservations about the survey, calling it “unscientific”, and have demanded that it be rejected and a fresh survey be conducted.

“….a decision has been arrived at to discuss it in the Cabinet….there are reasons for the delay (in placing the report before the Cabinet), now a decision has been arrived at to place it before the Cabinet for discussion,” Parameshwara said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, “Let it be discussed in the Cabinet and later let it be decided whether to table it in the Assembly (legislature) or not, or to release it as it is. In case it needs to be introduced in the Assembly, whether to bring it in the next session or later, all these things will be decided.” If the Cabinet decides there is no need to table the caste census report in the Assembly, as it is a commission’s report, and can be released as it is, it can be done, he further said, adding that “such an option is there…” Asked if the Central government also does the caste census, won’t it lead to confusion, the home minister said, “Let them do it. If there is any overlap, it can be rectified at a later stage… census done by the Central government and its data is used for everything both nationally and internationally.” To a question on opposition from Vokkaliga and Lingayat seers, also a section within the Congress for caste census data, and whether they can be convinced by stating that things can be rectified later, Parameshwara said, “don’t know, let it be discussed in the Cabinet once. Let’s see what decisions come out later.” With strong disapproval from the politically-influential two communities –Lingayats and Vokkaliga — the survey report may turn out to be a political hot potato for the government, as it may set the stage for a confrontation, with Dalits and OBCs among others demanding for it to be made public.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress president, and a Vokkaliga, was a signatory, along with a couple of other ministers, to a memorandum submitted by the community to the chief minister earlier, requesting that the report along with the data be rejected.

All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, the apex body of Veerashaiva-Lingayats, which has also expressed its disapproval vis-a-vis the survey and demanded conduct of a fresh survey, is headed by veteran Congress leader and MLA Shamanuru Shivashankarappa. Several Lingayat ministers and MLAs too have raised objections.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader B K Hariprasad asserted that the caste census report should be made public and implemented today, saying, it will be good for everyone from the caste census, and it is necessary for the all round development.”If the government goes because of it, let it go. Why fear?” Noting that the caste census had been done from the money of the common man, he said, “it is there in the party’s manifesto. So there is no need for any irresoluteness about it. Party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge also have said that the caste census report should be implemented and if there are any minor anomalies it can be resolved through discussion.” Deputy CM Shivakumar’s brother and former Congress MP D K Suresh had recently urged the chief minister to tread cautiously on the caste census issue.

Reacting to Suresh’s statement, Hariprasad said, the caste census is Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party’s programme and it was promised to people ahead of the election. “I don’t know whether Suresh has read our manifesto before saying what he has….” State BJP president B Y Vijayendra questioned as to why the caste census was not being implemented in the Congress’ tenure, and pointed out that such questions are being raised within the ruling party.

He said as the situation has come for CM Siddaramaiah to resign in connection with the MUDA scam, to divert the attention of the people, the caste census issue is being raised. “If Siddaramaiah was honest he could have implemented this during his earlier tenure.” The BJP is not against the caste census, but there are apprehensions raised by several senior Congress leaders like Shamanuru Shivashankarappa that it was done in haste and unscientifically.

According to some analysts, successive governments have been shying away from releasing it as the findings of the survey are allegedly contrary to the “traditional perception” vis-a-vis numerical strength of various castes in Karnataka, especially Lingayats and Vokkaligas, making it a politically sticky issue.

The then Siddaramaiah-led Congress government (2013-2018) had in 2015 commissioned the survey in the state at an estimated cost of Rs 170 crore.