Telangana's Caste Survey Sparks Controversy

Hyderabad, Feb 9 (NationPress) The Congress government in Telangana has seemingly ignited significant controversy, facing criticism not only from opposition parties and various caste organizations but also from members within its own ranks.

By implementing the caste survey aligned with its leader Rahul Gandhi’s mantra of 'Jis ki jitni abadi uska utna haq', Congress aimed to portray Telangana as a progressive model, hoping to capitalize politically in the forthcoming local body elections. Nonetheless, the backlash from diverse groups regarding the survey's findings indicates that the ruling party may have complicated its situation further.

The government faced scrutiny over the caste survey results from opposition parties like Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who accused it of showing a decline in the population of Backward Classes (BCs) since 2014.

They urged the government to explain how the BC population decreased to 56.33 percent (including Muslim BCs) from 61 percent noted in a comprehensive household survey conducted in 2014 by the prior BRS government.

Describing the caste survey as 'a historic achievement', the government convened a special session of the State Legislature to present its findings; however, the opposition capitalized on the situation by emphasizing the decline in BC demographics and challenging the government’s dedication to BC welfare.

Adding to the ruling party's embarrassment, their own MLC Teenmaar Mallanna publicly denounced the caste survey report, even setting a copy ablaze. While the party has issued a show-cause notice to the legislator, the damage has been done, as his actions raised further skepticism about the credibility of the caste survey data.

Both BRS and BJP are leveraging this issue to gain political advantage. BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao wrote to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, labeling the caste survey report as 'misleading, incomplete, and erroneous'.

Referring to data from the 2014 survey, the BRS leader indicated that the BC population in the state was 1 crore 85 lakh, approximately 51 percent of the total population. When including minority BC populations, that figure rose to 61 percent.

"From 1 crore 85 lakh, the BC population according to the latest caste census is now noted as 1 crore 64 lakh. This new data indicates a drop in BCs to 46 percent from 51 percent in 2014. What accounts for such a sharp decline in BC numbers?" he questioned.

BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay accused Congress of intentionally reducing the BC population percentage in the caste enumeration process and of including Muslims in the BC category. He alleged that this is part of a broader conspiracy to undermine BCs.

The BJP has vehemently opposed the four percent reservation for Muslims, as backward groups among Muslims currently benefit from this reservation in education and employment.

The caste survey report has reignited discussions regarding Muslim reservations, although Congress insists that the new data strengthens the legal justification for the 4 percent reservation for Muslims.

"The caste survey has provided robust evidence supporting the 4 percent Muslim reservation," stated government advisor and senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir.

As per the findings of the Socio-Economic, Education, Employment, Political and Caste Survey, more than 12.56 percent of Telangana's population is Muslim, with over 10 percent classified as BCs.

BCs represent 56.33 percent of the state's total populace, of which 10.08 percent are BC Muslims, and the remaining 2.48 percent are categorized as Other Caste (OC) Muslims.

According to the survey, which encompassed 96.9 percent of the population (3,54,77,554 individuals), 17.43 percent are Scheduled Castes (SCs), 10.45 percent are Scheduled Tribes (STs), and 13.31 percent are OCs.

In the wake of the caste survey report, the opposition is also pressuring Congress to fulfill its electoral promise of 42 percent reservation for BCs in local body elections.

During the 2023 Assembly elections, Congress issued a 'BC declaration' pledging to enhance BC reservations based on caste census results.

Congress also committed to raising BC reservations to 42 percent from the current 23 percent in local bodies to create 23,973 new political leadership positions for BCs in panchayats and municipalities.

In response to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s comments in the Assembly regarding the need for a Constitutional amendment to increase total reservations beyond 50 percent, the opposition criticized him for shifting responsibility to the Central government.

Along with the caste survey statement, the Congress government additionally presented a report from a one-man Judicial Commission on the sub-categorization of SCs to comply with a Supreme Court order.

The Commission, led by retired High Court judge Justice Shameem Akhtar, proposed categorizing SCs into three subgroups for equitable implementation of 15 percent reservation.

The Commission classified 59 SC communities into three groups based on their social, economic, and educational conditions.

The Madiga community, whose leader Manda Krishna Madiga has been advocating for sub-categorization of SCs for reservation, has been placed in the second group, for which the Commission has recommended nine percent reservation.

However, Manda Krishna Madiga dismissed the report, demanding 11 percent quota for Madigas proportional to their SC population.

He criticized the report as unjust, claiming it does not accurately reflect the population ratio or the backwardness of SC subgroups.

He also called for the removal of Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha from the Cabinet for his silence on the perceived 'injustice to Madigas'. Furthermore, he insisted that the government appoint two ministers from the Madiga community to the Cabinet.

In light of the caste survey, the Congress party is experiencing pressure from various factions to ensure adequate representation in the Cabinet.

The Cabinet expansion has been overdue for over a year, with strong demands from BCs, Muslims, SCs, and STs for inclusion.

Revanth Reddy and his 11 Cabinet colleagues took their oaths on December 7, 2023. The state can accommodate up to 18 ministers, including the Chief Minister.

Currently, there are no Muslims in the Cabinet, while there are two ministers from OBCs and one from ST.