Karnataka on the brink of caste wars

The first-ever caste census being undertaken in Karnataka post-independence by the Congress government could almost certainly lead to caste wars. The main problem is that leaders of dominant communities in the state may feel their influence in politics and the educational sector could wane when the figures from the census are published.

But despite the political opposition, chief minister Siddaramaiah seems determined to go ahead. The CM wants to complete the census over the next two months to such a large-scale census, which experts contend will help the government in ensuring effective devolution of funds for the welfare of the state.

At present, reservation in government jobs, education, including professional courses, and allocation of funds to beneficiaries under various schemes, are being done by extrapolating the figures of the caste census undertaken by the erstwhile British regime in 1931. Since then, no government in the state had dared to undertake caste census fearing repercussions from their vote banks.

The latest figures from the government indicate that Lingayats (also called Veerashaivas) form the single largest community with 17 per cent of the 64.06 million population of the state. The second largest community is Vokkaligas at 13 per cent. The SCs/STs make up for 24 per cent while the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) account for 22 per cent. The caste census should alter these figures drastically because these numbers are extrapolated figures.

The census intends to collect social, educational and economic status of every individual over the next 60 days through 1,26,000 enumerators, most of them being government employees of 34 different departments. The exhaustive census form has 55 questions, seeking to know their caste, sub-caste, sub-sect; household income; educational qualification; health details; sanitation facilities at home; number of children and their educational levels, etc.

The government is of the view that this census will help it in planning and allocating funds in a better manner to each department. At present, the bulk of the allocation goes towards the welfare of the SCs/STs schemes. However, on most of the occasions, the allocated funds are not completely used. At the same time, the allocation of funds for economically weaker families among advanced communities, such as Brahmins, is poor.

The reservation quota accounts for more than 90 per cent in government jobs and the educational sector leaving hardly any vacancy for General Merit candidates, who despite scoring high marks in the qualifying examinations, have to opt for Management Quota seats by paying fees in private universities.

The objective of the census is to set right such anomalies across all sectors, wherever the existing extrapolated figures of the caste is being used as a basis to decide allocation of funds and evolve reservation matrix.

But the leaders of dominant communities have a completely different view. For instance, at present, Kurubas, who are under the OBC category, account for about five per cent of the state’s population. There are several subsects of the community that come under a different category and if they are included under Kurubas in the census, then the overall Kuruba population percentage can double. That can lead to huge political repercussions in Karnataka. Siddaramaiah belongs to the Kuruba community and he is among the few OBCs to have become the chief minister in Karnataka.

Otherwise, Karnataka politics is dominated by Lingayats and Vokkaligas. Detractors of the caste census are accusing Siddaramaiah of further dividing society on the basis of castes and trying to prop up Kurubas as a major political force.

Everybody knows that the survey cannot be accurate to the extent of 100 per cent and can vary by at least five per cent, like in any other census, and the government too has acknowledged the same. In the past OBC leaders, such as S Bangarappa and D Devaraj Urs, had championed the cause of caste census, but were not successful in undertaking it. Now, with Siddaramaiah going ahead with the caste census, Karnataka is definitely set for a new order.