With National Caste Census Announced, CM May Change Tactics on State Report

Instead of discussing populations of communities, focus will be on their status

- DEVARAJ B HIREHALLI @Bengaluru

The central government's announcement on Wednesday that caste census will be included in the forthcoming national census is likely to strengthen the argument of Veerashaiva Lingayats and Vokkaligas demanding the state government to withdraw the 'contentious' Socio Economic and Educational Survey (SES-2015), popularly known as caste census.

The two dominant communities have termed the census 'unscientific' and demanded a fresh survey to determine populations of communities. They have argued that the state's caste census is decades old and obsolete.

For the national caste census, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) is likely to take up the task as caste is included in the national census, experts said. It is to be seen whether NCBC commissions the census to the state backward classes commission, they added.

In the changed scenario, the Siddaramaiah cabinet may keep aside caste-wise population figures and debate on the data on the status of communities.

A special cabinet meeting was scheduled for May 2 to discuss the caste census, but the meeting has been postponed indefinitely. The April 17 special cabinet meeting, called specifically to discuss caste census, remained inconclusive as ministers refused to accept the report. Siddaramaiah then asked them to go through specific data on the status of communities, sources said.