The Karnataka government has deferred its plan to release the caste census report by about a month. Earlier it was said by the state government that Backward Classes Commission Chairman Jayaprakash Hegde will submit the caste census report on November 24. Hegde's tenure was slated to end on November 26, however, the government has decided to give him an extension owing to the delay in submitting the report.
The reason given for not releasing the report of the Socio-Economic and Education Survey, also known as the Caste Census, is really shocking. The current chairman said a part of the survey's document is missing due to which he is not able to complete the report on time. Hegde stated that he did not receive the documents related to the method used to arrive at the results of the caste census data from the previous chairman of the commission. This had delayed in completing the report, he added.
Political reasons behind not releasing report
Even though the commission has stated that the reason for not releasing the report is the absence of key documents, the political reason for this seems to be something else. The Caste Census was conducted in 2015 during the chief ministership of Siddaramaiah, however, it is yet to be released owing to several reasons, as per sources. However, at that time this report was leaked in which it was said that the number of Dalits in the state was highest followed by Muslims.
Lingayat and Vokkaliga i.e. Gowda communities, which are said to have a large population, were said to be less than 12 per cent in the leaked report. Both these communities are very influential politically and economically in Karnataka, they have been deciding whose government will be formed in the state. In such a situation, when their population was shown to be significantly less in this report of the Caste Census, then the people representing both these communities started raising questions on this census.
Congress had promised to release caste census report
After coming to power this year, the Congress government in the state had vowed to release the caste census report. But recently, Vokkaligara Sangha, the largest organisation of the Gowda community, wrote a letter to the Chief Minister saying that this survey has not been conducted "scientifically" and it should be conducted again. As per sources, the political uproar started after the letter surfaced and differences have come to the fore even within the current dispensation in the state.
According to government sources, this is the reason why the CM has postponed the plan to release this report for the time being. Leaders of the ruling party also believe that if the population of Gowda and Lingayats is shown less in this report, then the party may suffer a huge loss in the Lok Sabha elections. This is the reason why despite pressure from the top leadership, the Congress government is taking cautious steps to release the report, sources added.
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