Why is Karnataka BJP Opposing Christian and Muslim Tags for Hindu Sub-Castes?

Bengaluru, Sep 2 (NationPress) A delegation from the Karnataka BJP recently met with Madhusudhan R Naik, the Chairman of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission, to voice their concerns regarding the introduction of Christian and Muslim labels attached to all Hindu sub-castes.

The party expressed, “This seems to be an initiative aimed at promoting religious conversions,” highlighting their apprehension.

In a press conference held on Tuesday, V. Sunil Kumar, BJP State General Secretary and MLA, announced that a list containing 1,400 castes had been released in the media, inviting public objections.

“New categories have emerged that aren't recognized by any governmental or commission listings. For instance, terms like Kuruba Christian, Madivala Christian, and Vokkaliga Christian—107 such new classifications have been introduced, complete with assigned codes. This is absolutely unacceptable,” he stated.

“This could lead to a widespread movement across the state. Previously, we only recognized 2-3 sub-castes within the Christian community and a few among Muslims. However, the government has now added Christian or Muslim identifiers to all Hindu sub-castes, which appears to be a strategy to facilitate conversions. People suspect this may be a tactic to alter reservation policies,” Sunil Kumar asserted.

The BJP has formally requested that these newly identified castes be removed from the list.

“We demand a written confirmation of the survey’s findings. A total of 1,400 castes have been categorized based on Kannada grammar. We have advocated for categorization based on social parameters. Although the commission listened to our concerns, they seem set on completing the survey within 15 days. It should not be executed hastily, as this could jeopardize the validity of the report. This survey will serve as a foundation for future state policies, and therefore must be conducted with diligence,” he insisted.

“We have also requested that the caste survey not be rushed. Claiming it will be wrapped up within 15 days or during the Dusshera festival is inappropriate. Surveying approximately 1.75 to 2 crore households is no trivial task. We believe it would be better to conduct the survey in the summer months,” he reiterated.

According to Sunil Kumar, the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission is gearing up for a socio-educational and economic survey. Previously, under Kantharaju, the commission prepared a report that cost Rs 165 crore, which was never submitted to the government, thus wasting resources.

Another survey on internal reservations was conducted under Justice Nagamohan Das at a cost of Rs 110 crore. “The government announced its position without considering any elements of that report, which has sparked controversy in Karnataka,” he noted.

He emphasized that the BJP is aware of the public's confusion and concerns and believes that the next survey must be executed properly.

The memorandum was endorsed by several prominent leaders including MP P.C. Mohan, BJP State Vice President and former minister Hartalu Halappa, Assembly Opposition Chief Whip Doddanagouda H. Patil, Council Opposition Chief Whip N. Ravikumar, MLC S. Keshavaprasad, BJP State Secretaries Sharanu Tallikeri and Ambika Hulinaykar, OBC Morcha State President Raghu Kautilya, former MLA N.L. Narendra Babu, former MLC M.D. Lakshminarayana, among other notable leaders who were part of the BJP delegation.