BENGALURU: The special cabinet meeting called by Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on April 17 to discuss the caste census report is set to be lively after some Congress politicians called for junking the report. The report was submitted to the cabinet on Friday. On Sunday, all cabinet ministers were delivered a copy to study and prepare for the April 17 meeting.
Though the leaked report does not give the respective proportions in total population of the two dominant caste groups in Karnataka - Vokkaligas and Lingayats - it does propose quotas in different categories which the two rival caste groups are part of.
The report says that under category III(A), which includes Vokkaligas and two other dominant communities, the population is placed at 73 lakh with a recommendation of a 7% reservation. Similarly, the population under category III (B), which comprises Veerashaiva-Lingayats and five other communities, is 81.3 lakh and the report recommends 8% quota. The total population of the state is pegged at 5.9 crore.
As per the report's recommendations, the total reservation for all communities would increase to 73.5% (including 15% for SCs and 7.5% for STs) from the existing 50%, in line with SC capping guideline.
Though the exact proportion of Lingayats and Vokkaligas in the population of modern-day Karnataka is not known, the two communities were estimated at 19% and 17%, respectively, on the basis of which the Chenappa Reddy commission for socio-economic survey had given its report in 1990. Based on that report, the then Deve Gowda govt in the state had recommended 4% reservations for Muslims.
Even though the total Lingayat numbers are not known, industries minister and Lingayat politician M B Patil hinted at mismatch between ground realities and the survey findings, saying: "It is nobody's fault that Lingayat numbers have fallen. Members of some Lingayat sub-castes have (in a fine slicing of sub-caste identity) declared themselves as Hindu Ganiga, Hindu Banajiga and Hindu Sadaras for the sake of (existing) 2A reservation benefits. If we take all of them into account and also Lingayats recorded under 3B, then their population crosses 1 crore. The cabinet meeting will discuss all these finer points."
Muslims are placed at 12.6% of the population in the survey conducted in 2015.
The largest community in Karnataka, however, are the Scheduled Castes with a population of nearly 1.1 crore and 108 sub-castes within them.
Responding to senior Congressman Shamanur Shivashankarappa's claim that the report was "unscientific", deputy CM D K Shivakumar was cryptic in his response: "Everyone is trying to safeguard their communities. I will not stop them (as it's their democratic right to do so). On April 17, the cabinet will discuss the issue."
BJP targeted Congress govt for minority appeasement. "This report reeks of CM dictating the numbers to census author H Kantharaju. If not, there is no way Muslims are declared the 'majority community'," said LoP R Ashoka.
Though the leaked report does not give the respective proportions in total population of the two dominant caste groups in Karnataka - Vokkaligas and Lingayats - it does propose quotas in different categories which the two rival caste groups are part of.
The report says that under category III(A), which includes Vokkaligas and two other dominant communities, the population is placed at 73 lakh with a recommendation of a 7% reservation. Similarly, the population under category III (B), which comprises Veerashaiva-Lingayats and five other communities, is 81.3 lakh and the report recommends 8% quota. The total population of the state is pegged at 5.9 crore.
As per the report's recommendations, the total reservation for all communities would increase to 73.5% (including 15% for SCs and 7.5% for STs) from the existing 50%, in line with SC capping guideline.
Though the exact proportion of Lingayats and Vokkaligas in the population of modern-day Karnataka is not known, the two communities were estimated at 19% and 17%, respectively, on the basis of which the Chenappa Reddy commission for socio-economic survey had given its report in 1990. Based on that report, the then Deve Gowda govt in the state had recommended 4% reservations for Muslims.
Even though the total Lingayat numbers are not known, industries minister and Lingayat politician M B Patil hinted at mismatch between ground realities and the survey findings, saying: "It is nobody's fault that Lingayat numbers have fallen. Members of some Lingayat sub-castes have (in a fine slicing of sub-caste identity) declared themselves as Hindu Ganiga, Hindu Banajiga and Hindu Sadaras for the sake of (existing) 2A reservation benefits. If we take all of them into account and also Lingayats recorded under 3B, then their population crosses 1 crore. The cabinet meeting will discuss all these finer points."
Muslims are placed at 12.6% of the population in the survey conducted in 2015.
The largest community in Karnataka, however, are the Scheduled Castes with a population of nearly 1.1 crore and 108 sub-castes within them.
Responding to senior Congressman Shamanur Shivashankarappa's claim that the report was "unscientific", deputy CM D K Shivakumar was cryptic in his response: "Everyone is trying to safeguard their communities. I will not stop them (as it's their democratic right to do so). On April 17, the cabinet will discuss the issue."
BJP targeted Congress govt for minority appeasement. "This report reeks of CM dictating the numbers to census author H Kantharaju. If not, there is no way Muslims are declared the 'majority community'," said LoP R Ashoka.
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