After an uproar successful governmental circles implicit the “inclusion of caller castes” successful the Christian sub-caste category, the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes volition disguise 33 Christian sub-castes successful the mobile exertion provided to enumerators for the socio-educational survey.
Commission’s member-secretary K.A. Dayanand told presspersons present that of the 38 Christian groups successful the caste database published earlier, it had been decided to clasp 5 and disguise the 33 others, aft a contention arose implicit their inclusion. The committee had removed 7 sub-castes earlier the database was published, helium added.
The committee published a database of 1,413 castes, aft which 148 were added pursuing petitions for additions, taking the full of 1,561. This excluded 101 Scheduled Castes and 50 Scheduled Tribes. The beingness of Christian sub-castes specified arsenic Lingayat Christian, Kuruba Christian, Brahmana Christian, and Vokkaliga Christian, among others, successful the caste database had created a controversy.
According to Mr. Dayanand, the authoritative database of castes had 887 for Backward Classes, 101 for Scheduled Castes, and 50 for Scheduled Tribes. “However, determination could beryllium much castes. Validating immoderate caste is not our job. It is wholly voluntary to enumerate nether immoderate caste sanction nether self-declaration. These (new castes) were castes nether which radical had identified themselves during the 2015 survey conducted by the H. Kantharaj Commission,” helium said.
When asked astir preservation benefits, helium said that the instrumentality recognises alteration of religion aft conversion, but the caste does not change. “With respect to preservation and benefits, it is fixed arsenic per the authorities decision.”
The contented of Christian sub-castes has taken a governmental colour with BJP accusing the authorities of trying to disagreement Hindus, and respective Cabinet Ministers had vociferously voiced their sentiment against it during a caller Cabinet asking Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to either postpone oregon stall the survey.
Stating that the castes were masked since it was felt to beryllium not necessary, commission’s chairperson Madhusudan Naik said: “It was unwanted confusion. The database of castes has been drawn for the convenience of the commission, and that it has nary validity oregon relevance for the public. It besides does not person ineligible sanctity. The caste database besides does not person immoderate effect and is meant lone for interior purpose. Since it is for interior use, we decided not to proceed with it and disguise them to forestall confusion.”
He besides clarified that the committee did not make immoderate caste list, and took a cue from the database drawn up by the H. Kantharaj Commission. “We person not removed immoderate caste, but lone masked successful the driblet downs. However, the caste names volition stay successful the strategy but enumerators volition not punctual the households,” helium said.
Religion file does not matter
Backward classes committee president Madhusudan Naik has said that determination is nary worth for religion file successful the enumeration since the religion does not travel nether the purview of the commission.
“We volition not beryllium evaluating connected the ground of religion and accusation is being sought nether a broader category.”
His effect came aft his attraction was drawn to attempts made by Veerashiava-Lingayat groups to enumerate their assemblage members nether “others” successful the religion category.
“In their question for religion, they tin counsel their assemblage members to constitute successful a definite mode to asseverate themselves. But erstwhile we analyse, it volition person nary value. Our interest is to person an investigation based connected socio, economic, acquisition and governmental backwardness.”
