Caste Census: Kharge’s outburst against Shivakumar reveals deep divide in Congress

Congress President Mallikarjun M Kharge (right) Karnataka Deputy Chief DK Shivakumar.

Congress President Mallikarjun M Kharge’s public outburst against Karnataka Deputy Chief DK Shivakumar exposes the chinks within the party on the contentious issue of caste census. While the Congress as a party has taken a stand in favour of caste census both at the national level and in Karnataka, Shivakumar who is also the state Congress president has signed a petition opposing the same.

When Kharge was prodded in the Rajya Sabha by BJP member Sushil Kumar Modi over the internal dispute within the Congress, he responded, “All upper caste people are united on this. Shivakumar is also opposing it, BJP is also opposing it. Both are one on this issue. Upper caste people will be united internally.”

Karnataka’s Caste Census Report

Though Karnataka was the first  state to hold a caste census in the country during Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s earlier term between 2013 and 2018, Bihar was the first to release the report of the survey it had conducted. Bihar’s census data showed that while upper castes comprised only 15 percent, the “marginalised” classes  made up 85 percent of the population.

While the Karnataka report was never made public, the data which was leaked in 2018 indicated that Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes constituted a majority of the population. Ever since the formation of the state in 1956, Vokkaligas and Lingayats had assumed political superiority by the virtue of their assumed numerical dominance which was not based on any empirical data.

If the report is accepted and implemented, it could significantly loosen the stronghold that these two communities have had over the state’s political affairs for decades. It could also  have a cascading effect on various other sectors.

Challenge To Lingayat-Vokkaliga Dominance

A majority of the Chief Ministers of the state have been Lingayats and Vokkaligas, while no Dalit has held the post so far. A demographic change would also involve reworking the reservation matrix which would ensure greater representation for the marginalised sections in various areas like jobs, educational institutions and even legislative bodies.

The opposition to the caste census comes not only from Shivakumar but from upper caste leaders cutting across parties who appear to be more worried about their own political future rather than the progress of the disadvantaged.

Deprived sections have a right to political representation and the state’s resources in proportion to their population. To deny them this, amounts to perpetuating the discrimination and ostracisation that they have faced for centuries.

Gautham Machaiah is a senior journalist and political commentator based in Bengaluru. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.