Karnataka Minister: Ignoring Sub-sects Would Be Unfair to Lingayat Community in Caste Census

Bengaluru, Jan 16 (NationPress) Karnataka Large and Medium Industries Minister M. B. Patil, a close ally of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, expressed concerns on Thursday regarding the omission of sub-sects from the Lingayat community in the caste census report, stating it would be a significant injustice.

The presentation of the contentious caste census in the Cabinet, initially scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed indefinitely by CM Siddaramaiah.

This situation has ignited a debate amid ongoing infighting within the Congress party.

While addressing the media at Vidhana Soudha, Minister Patil remarked, "The individuals belonging to Lingayat sub-sects have identified their castes as Hindu Ganiga, Hindu Sadhu, Hindu Banajiga, Hindu Reddy, among others. They are indeed sub-sects of the Lingayat community. Their registration as Hindu Ganiga and similar classifications for reservations does not imply they are not part of the Lingayat community."

"All sub-sects must be accounted for. When they are included, the true demographic will emerge. This essential task must be conducted. Regardless of how individuals identify themselves, it is well-known that they belong to sub-castes within the Lingayat community," he asserted.

"It is crucial to unify all sub-sects under the Lingayat community for proper counting. At this moment, I cannot comment on the report's findings since it has yet to be disclosed. If the report is accurate, we have no objections; if not, we will inform the Chief Minister," Minister Patil added.

"I came across media reports suggesting the Lingayat population stands at 65 lakhs. If that figure includes sub-castes, that’s acceptable. However, if they are excluded, it is incorrect. The media should clarify how these report details are derived," Patil noted.

"The Veerashaiva Mahasabha and various organizations representing the Lingayat community operate independently, and I cannot speak for them. They possess their rights. My position is that all Lingayat sub-sects deserve to be recognized under one umbrella. They must be counted as part of the Lingayat community. Ganiga, Sadhu, Banajiga, and Malagar receive reservations under the 2A category, while Reddy's fall under the 3A category. Exclusion would constitute a significant injustice," he emphasized.

"Currently, we lack insight into the caste census report and its findings. Primarily, a caste census should only be conducted by the Government of India. It is an exercise, a survey. As far as the Lingayat community is concerned, we have expressed that it comprises numerous sub-sects," he mentioned.

Back in 2014, Siddaramaiah, during his first term as CM, initiated the Karnataka Socio-economic and Educational Census.

A committee led by the then Backward Classes Commission H. Kantharaju executed a survey costing approximately Rs 169 crore. The report was completed in 2016, but subsequent administrations shelved it.

The Congress and JD(S) coalition government, led by H.D. Kumaraswamy, as well as the BJP government under B.S. Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai, also kept the report pending.

In 2020, the BJP government appointed Jayaprakash Hegde as the Commission chief, yet the report remained undisclosed. Hegde submitted the final report to the Siddaramaiah administration on February 29, 2024.

The BJP and JD(S) have alleged that the report is flawed and was prepared at the “behest” of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Prominent leaders from the Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities have called for a resurvey. There are allegations that the caste census survey may be manipulated to inflate the Muslim population figures in the state.

A delegation of MLAs from Dalit and backward communities recently met CM Siddaramaiah, urging the implementation of the caste census report in the state.

Nonetheless, the BJP has consistently criticized that whenever CM Siddaramaiah finds himself in political turmoil, he highlights the issue of the caste census.