Kuruba organisation demands release of caste census report

Karnataka Pradesh Kurubara Sangha demands release of caste census report for welfare policy formulation, despite political pressures.

Karnataka Pradesh Kurubara Sangha has demanded that the report of the Socio-economic and Education Survey, popularly known as caste census, submitted to the State government by the Karnataka State Backward Class Commission headed by H. Kantharaj, be released.

Addressing a media conference in Kalaburagi on Monday, district president of the sangha Gurunath Pujari said that his organisation will stage a demonstration outside Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi during the Winter Session of the Legislature on Wednesday to press for the demand.

“The Karnataka State Backward Class Commission conducted the Socio-economic and Education Survey to ascertain the actual conditions of different social groups in the State. The State government has spent ₹167 crore for the survey. The commission recorded the condition of each family based on 75 parameters. The State government should first release the report for the public and accept it to formulate its policy framework for the welfare of the communities,” he said.

To a question, Mr. Pujari said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah might be apprehensive of losing power upon releasing the caste census report.

“The forward communities indirectly threaten to topple the Siddaramaiah government if he releases the caste census report. Mr. Siddaramaiah should not yield to such threats. He should take a bold decision to release the report. It doesn’t matter whether or not Mr. Siddaramaiah remains in power. He should release the report so that people will know the reality of the condition of each caste in terms of its numerical strength and in social, economic and educational terms. The report will also help the State government alter or modify its welfare measures based on such authentic data,” he said.

Responding to the sustained agitation by Panchamasalis for including their community in the 2A category of Other Backward Classes, Mr. Pujari said that the demand is unscientific and did not have any logic.

“Relatively forward castes like Panchamasalis coming in the ambit of 2A category will deprive relatively backward communities in the category of their legitimate rights. If Kurubas are allowed to join Scheduled Tribes, then, we don’t have any objection to Panchamasalis coming into the 2A category. But it is not as simple as we think. It cannot be done. Yet, Panchamasalis are resorting to agitations to get it done. We condemn their method for pressurising the State government to meet their unjust demand,” he claimed.