Congress To Hold Caste Re-enumeration In Karnataka

New Delhi:The Congress on Tuesday said it had decided to hold a caste re-enumeration in Karnataka to address concerns of some communities which complained of being left out of the survey that was conducted 10 years ago. The decision was announced after the party's top brass met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy state Congress president D.K. Shivakumar.

The time-bound re-conduct of the caste census will be discussed at a special Cabinet meeting in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Also on the agenda of the meeting was said to be the June 4 stampede in Bengaluru which killed 11 persons during the RCB victory celebrations. PTI quoted sources to say that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi expressed their displeasure over the involvement of the state government in the victory celebrations.

A source said Rahul Gandhi told the Chief Minister and PCC president that human lives were of great value to the Congress and the government had to be responsive towards people, “unlike the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh or the Left government in Kerala where no responsibility was taken for the loss of lives during the Kumbh and Sabarimala tragedy respectively”.

AICC general secretary (organisation), K.C. Venugopal and the Karnataka incharge general secretary Randeep Surjewala were also present during the three-hour discussion on state issues at the Indira Bhawan, where the party leadership told the chief minister that the Congress government in the state should adopt a pro-people approach.

Venugopal told reporters that they discussed the current political situation in the state, including the unfortunate incident that happened in Bengaluru. He said the caste census was among the issues that came up in the meeting, and the Karnataka government is going to discuss it at a special cabinet on June 12.

“The caste census was discussed. The Congress party is thinking that whatever the Karnataka government has done in the caste census should be agreed to in principle. But there are some apprehensions from some sections and communities about the counting of the caste.”

He noted that the state government had conducted the caste census a decade ago and the data was now outdated.

“The Congress has suggested to the Chief Minister to do a re-enumeration process within a stipulated time, say 60-80 days. This is what we decided about the caste census in the meeting,” he said, adding the Chief Minister will provide more details on the issue.

The move comes close on the heels of the Centre announcing the schedule of the national Census with caste enumeration.

Speaking in New Delhi, Deputy CM Shivakumar said the Cabinet would decide the timeline for the caste re-enumeration to be conducted in the state within 90 days. He promised a “transparent” process that would protect the interests of all sections of society.

“Several ministers and communities have expressed apprehensions, and keeping this in mind, the party leadership has decided to re-enumerate castes in the state,” Siddaramaiah told reporters. “We have agreed to that. The party has decided to complete the survey and submit the report within 90 days.”

The Deputy Chief Minister assured that the new census would address concerns of every community without excluding anyone. He said even those living outside Karnataka would be given an opportunity to enrol through online mode.

The Karnataka BJP demanded that Siddaramaiah and the Congress should apologise to the people. “The Congress High Command has scrapped the caste census report prepared by the state government. This report, which was prepared at a cost of `150 crore, is a huge waste of taxpayers' money and a great disservice to the backward and marginalized communities,” Karnataka BJP general secretary Sunil Kumar said.

The BJP had repeatedly pointed out that there were discrepancies in the data of the caste census report and demanded that it be re-examined. However, Siddaramaiah continued with his “usual recklessness” even in such a sensitive matter, he alleged.

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The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government (2013-2018) had commissioned a caste survey in the state in 2015.

State Backward Classes Commission, under its then chairperson H Kantharaju, completed report in 2018.

Report was finalised by Kantharaju's successor K. Jayaprakash Hegde in February 2024.

The report was placed before the Cabinet for the first time on April 11 this year.

Various communities, especially Karnataka's dominant Vokkaligas and Veershaiva-Lingayats. expressed strong reservations about survey, demanded a fresh survey.

There are also strong voices against it from within the ruling Congress.

All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, apex body of Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, welcomes a re-survey.