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Karnataka: What is behind CM Siddaramaiahs bold move on caste census?
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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state Minister for Women and Child Development and Disabled and Senior Citizens Empowerment Laxmi Hebbalkar greet a differently-abled person during an event on International Day of Older Persons, at Ravindra Kalashetra, in Bengaluru, on October. 1, 2024. Photo: PTI

Karnataka: What is behind CM Siddaramaiah's bold move on caste census?

Siddaramaiah's decision to present the controversial caste census in cabinet and implement it, is seen as a last-ditch attempt to save his chair. Or, is it a noble move?

Muralidhara Khajane
1 Oct 2024 12:31 PM GMT  (Updated:2024-10-01 13:46:23)

The unanswered question circulating in the public domain is this – Will Siddaramaiah really bring the controversial caste census report before the cabinet and go ahead and implement it? Will he be able to go against the wishes of two dominant communities in Karnataka and also flout the wishes of some of his own party leaders?

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's recent announcement that he will table the ‘controversial ‘Socio-Educational Survey, popularly referred to as ‘Caste Census’ before the cabinet, and initiate the process of implementing the recommendations, has triggered a furious debate in the socio-political circles of Karnataka.

And, both the Congress and the Opposition are anxiously waiting for Siddaramaiah's next move.

Diversion tactic
One section of the Karnataka state Congress views Siddaramaiah's move as a 'last resort' to renew his claimed identity as leader of AHINDA (Alpasankhyataru, Hindulidavaru, Dalitaru-Minorities, Backward Classes and Dalits) and, more significantly, to distract the public's attention from his own woes. Notably, Siddaramaiah is on a sticky wicket,
with recent judicial verdicts going against him and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registering a case of alleged money laundering in connection with the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case.
However, another section in the Congress disagrees with this point of view.
According to people close to Siddaramaiah, the Karnataka CM had put the caste census issue on the back burner ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, after his partymen belonging to dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities objected to it.
But now, he has apparently mustered up courage to revisit the politically sensitive issue of the caste census, said some Congress leaders.

Champion of backward classes

“Siddaramaiah wants to prove himself as champion of backward classes, on the lines of Devaraj Urs, who implemented Land Reforms, despite opposition from his own party men," observed a senior Congress leader.
Dwarakanath CS, chairman of the Social Justice Committee of Congress and former Chairman of Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes said that the backward classes and Dalits welcome Siddaramaiah's decision to present the 13-volume caste census report before the cabinet and implement its recommendations.
"I am confident that Siddaramaiah will not retract this time, as Rahul Gandhi himself has been a vocal advocate of a nationwide caste census and campaigning for allocation of resources and opportunities to backward communities proportionate to their population," he said.
Further, he added, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is also bent upon implementing the report, and so state Congress leaders of dominant Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities will not dare to object to Siddaramaiah’s move.
Political hot potato
The Socio-Educational Survey, aka Caste Census report, which is being considered a political ‘hot potato,’ was submitted to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in February 2024. However, the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah deferred the decision to implement it in view of the Lok Sabha polls. They did not want to antagonize the powerful Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, who are perceived as major vote banks in the old Mysuru region and Uttara Karnataka region.
According to sources, the Opposition BJP is taken aback by Siddaramaiah's move, particularly at a time when the saffron party is doing its best to destabilise him with the MUDA and Valmiki scams.
BJP leaders dubbed the move as“another guarantee gimmick" to distract people from the MUDA scam. The Congress retaliated, asking, “Why the BJP did not act on the report of the previous Kantharaj Commission, when it was ready during the BJP regime?".
Congress accused the BJP of shelving the report during its regime because it did not want to antagonize its vote bank, the Linayat community.
Champion of backward classes
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah sees it as a mission to uplift the marginalized sections of society. The CM said, "The backward classes in Karnataka are still being deprived of opportunities in society and there is a need to identify them and provide them with equal opportunities as others. That is specifically why I initiated the Caste Survey and will get it implemented. Our government is trying to bring that change. We conducted the socio-education survey to recognise and uplift the marginalised sections of society."
He even blamed the Congress loss of power in 2018 due to the delay in releasing and implementing the Caste Census report.

Speaking to The Federal, HC Mahadevappa, the CM's close aide and minister for public works said, “Of course, he (Siddaramaiah) is aware of problems that may arise after accepting the report. Undeterred by the repercussions, he is determined to make the report public and implement its important recommendations."

Also, he added that Siddaramaiah's decision has nothing to do with the developments in the MUDA or Valmiki cases. "He is committed to release the caste census report and this is the national Congress Party’s commitment as well,” asserted Mahadevappa.

Siddaramaiah had publicly voiced his apprehensions over the consequences of releasing the report. "I may be haunted politically for some time. But, I won’t budge to these kinds of threats,” said Siddaramaiah in Mysuru recently.

The question now that is being asked is what has emboldened Siddaramaiah to present the report in the next cabinet meeting (scheduled to be held before Vijayadashami)? According to Mahadevappa, "The Congress high command backed Siddaramaiah on his decision and so did a group of OBC and Dalit religious heads, who offered him moral support. OBCs and Dalits still consider Siddaramaiah as their leader and will back him under any circumstances."

While CS Dwarakanath noted that no other political leader in Karnataka, except Siddaramaiah, has the courage to implement the significant recommendations of the Caste Census.

Also read: MUDA case: No question of resigning, I've done no wrong, says Siddaramaiah

Caste census to the fore

Nearly a decade after it was commissioned the caste census in Karnataka remained under wraps, as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah remained non-committal about its release and implementation.

Now, Siddaramaiah has taken the bold decision to bring the report before the cabinet and implement its recommendations. This has come shortly after Siddaramaiah failed to secure a stay from the Karnataka High Court on the governor's sanction allowing the CM to be prosecuted in the MUDA scam case. This has eventually led to an FIR being filed against him by the Karnataka Lokayukta and demand from the Opposition for his resignation as CM.

Wheels have started to turn within Congress with deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar meeting his one-time rival Satish Jarkiholi and home minister G Parameshwar. This development has raised eyebrows prompting the question: 'What if Siddaramaiah loses his chair?'

Karnataka caste censusSiddaramaiahKarnataka politics
Muralidhara Khajane
About the AuthorMuralidhara Khajane
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