Bengaluru: How many castes are there in Karnataka? Any guess? There are 1861 castes among the Hindus in Karnataka, reveals the latest caste census.
According to leaked data, earlier the census officials counted 1351 castes, later 510 castes were identified and added to the caste census named “socio economic census” of Karnataka.
Even though the controversial census was ready more than two years ago, the then Siddaramaiah government decided against releasing it fearing a social and political backlash in the society. Now Siddaramaiah wants the JDS-Congress government to make the “census” data public to appease the OBC and SC voters. This is likely to give rise to another friction between the two leaders.
The “census” has thrown up some “explosive” details which may turn the Karnataka politics on its head. According to leaked data, the Schedules Castes have the highest number with 19.5% of the total population. The Muslims with 16% are the second largest community in the state. The Lingayats are 14% and the Vokkaligas are 11% the population, the “census” reveals.
The OBCs have hundreds of sub-castes and they form about 23% of the state’s total population. The Scheduled Tribes are 5% and the Brahmins are 4% of the total population in Karnataka.
According to an official of the Backward Classes Commission, the “outsiders” from UP, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, North Eastern States, West Bengal, Orissa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Punjab and other states who have been in Karnataka for many years have also mentioned their castes in the “census”. “Some of these castes are so small. Some have just 10 members, some have just 200 members,” the official claims.
Karnataka Backward Classes Commission chairman H Kantharaj said that the “census” work was almost complete and they had intimated the same to state government.
The Gowdas, who are always wary of their friend turned foe turned friend and former chief minister Siddaramaiah, don’t want to invite fresh trouble by releasing the data claim a JDS source.
“The findings may help the Congress and Siddaramaiah personally. It is not going to help the JDS. The leaked data claims that Vokkaligas, who are the backbone of our party are just 11%. We dispute this claim. They are at least 15% of the total population,” said a top leader of the JDS.
According to a report in the leading Kannada daily, “Prajavani”, the Backward Classes minister K C Puttaranga Shetty was in favour of making the data public and the chief minister had agreed to convene a meeting of the Backward Classes Commission.
There has also been a demand to increase the reservation limit to 70% from the existing 50%. “The census proves that we need at least 70% reservation in the state to accommodate all castes. The neighbouring Tamil Nadu has 69% reservation. We need to force the Centre to amend the Constitution to facilitate this,” said an official of the Backward Classes Commission.
It is becoming a hot potato for the JDS and Kumaraswamy. Releasing the data may go against his party interests and not releasing it may turn the backward classes and SCs against the Congress.
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