BENGALURU: Even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stuck to his guns of conducting the Socio-economic and Educational Survey, known as caste survey, from Monday, the Vokkaliga community leadership, including Adichunchanagiri Mutt head Sri Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, here on Saturday issued a warning to the government, saying the survey is being carried out hastily for only fifteen days without addressing grievances of the community.
Kumaraswamy said if the government continues with the census, it will create problems in future and trigger unrest in society. “The new survey will be worse than the previous one conducted by the Kantharaju commission. It will cause unrest in the state, and Congress will face the consequences,” he warned while speaking to reporters after taking part in the meeting of community leaders convened by Sri Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji.
He said, “We have also discussed the framework for a future struggle under the leadership of seers if the government does any injustice to the community in the survey. The government has done everything to cause unrest in the state. The consequences of this will be seen in the days to come.”
Seer hopes religious identities tagged to Vokkaliga community will be removed
Both Sri Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji and and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy said the responsibility of resolving the issues had been given to Deputy CM DK Shivakumar. The swamiji, while addressing the media, raised a subtle objection to the timing and duration of the fresh census, demanding that it be postponed by 45 days.
The meeting, however, took a decision unanimously and called on members of the community to enrol as Hindu in the religion column, Vokkaliga in the caste column and later their respective sub-castes if any.
“Our devotees who will be busy with the Navarathri festivities and rituals will find it difficult to be involved in the census. To what extent the census will cover the entire 7.5 crore population? After spending Rs 400-500 crore, if the reality (population figures) is not reflected, it would take an ugly turn,” he indirectly warned the government, hinting that the people of the community will hit the streets. He pointed out that Telangana state took three months to conduct the census of about 3.5 crore population, while Karnataka took 45 days for the survey of Scheduled Castes for the internal quota.
He hoped that the religious identities tagged to the community for the census, particularly the ‘Christian Vokkaliga’, would be removed. Kunchitiga Vokkaliga religious head Sri Nanjavadhuta Swamiji took the Backward Classes Commission to task for including new castes in the survey.
“After receiving the applications, there should have been some procedure, like calling for objections and holding discussion with stakeholders. The cabinet has to decide whether new castes should be added.
But the commission took a one-sided decision without following the procedure. Was this brought to the notice of the government,” he wondered.“Political and educational reservation depends on population figures. This is why communities are in panic over this hasty census,” he said.
Vokkaligas face biggest setback, says HDK
Kumaraswamy said Vokkaligas have faced the biggest setback in caste-related issues. “In Bengaluru, it is largely the Vokkaligas who have lost their land. Shivakumar has said he will take the responsibility to resolve all these issues,” he said. Apart from getting the census postponed, issues of Vokkaligas who have lost their land for many projects in and around Bengaluru, including the airport, should be addressed and compensated for.” He wondered whether the government will simply pull out the Kantharaju commission report again as the duration for the new census is just 15 days.