Just days before the scheduled socio-educational survey by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, several ministers within Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s cabinet are reportedly urging him to either scrap or delay the exercise. Their primary concern? The inclusion of numerous castes and sub-castes that, they argue, are not on the state’s officially recognized list, with reports citing up to 331 such examples.
Despite this internal dissent, the commission is moving ahead with preparations, intending to begin the survey on September 22. The contentious issue of these 331 groups was a major point of discussion in a recent Cabinet meeting and a subsequent gathering of ministers.
Political parties like the BJP and various caste organizations have voiced strong objections to these ‘new’ inclusions. Notable examples cited include ‘Brahmin Christians,’ ‘Lingayat Christians,’ ‘Kuruba Christians,’ and ‘Vokkaliga Christians.’ Concerns have also been raised regarding an increased number of Muslim and Lingayat sub-castes.
Sources indicate that the Cabinet meeting featured intense debates on the survey, with ministers from influential land-owning communities like the Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats—both traditionally opposed to such surveys—arguing against it. These communities had successfully stalled a similar survey initiated by the H. Kantharaj Commission in 2015, whose report was finally submitted by the K. Jayaprakash Hegde Commission in 2024.
Ministers from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community expressed confusion surrounding the survey’s methodology, while others suggested it had become a political hot potato. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, according to insiders, expressed disappointment at being pigeonholed as solely pro-SC/ST/OBC and minority groups, arguing for the survey’s necessity to identify poverty across all communities.
Following the Cabinet meeting, a smaller group of ministers, including H.C. Mahadevappa, Santhosh Lad, H.K. Patil, M.B. Patil, and Byrathi Suresh, was tasked with reviewing the list of 331 contentious castes. One minister affirmed, “People have the right to identify themselves in a particular manner, which cannot be prevented. Neither the government nor the commission has any role in this. The Chief Minister will be informed, and the survey will proceed as scheduled.”
Understanding the Inclusion of ‘New Castes’
Amid the swirling controversy, K.N. Lingappa, a former member of the H. Kantharaj Commission, clarified that the commission did not arbitrarily invent ‘new’ castes, nor did the government dictate their inclusion.
Lingappa explained that these community members actively petitioned the commission, seeking the inclusion of their caste names to ascertain their population numbers. When initially informed that their requests couldn’t be accommodated, they threatened legal action. After a day-long deliberation on the implications, the commission decided to add them to the list. He emphasized that these groups eventually received population figures, which were then integrated into broader caste categories.