BENGALURU: Karnataka’s ambitious caste census has triggered a backlash with the Brahmin community alleging that their population has been “artificially fragmented” into multiple subcategories -- diluting their strength and distorting their representation.
In a letter to Karnataka Backward Classes Commission chairman C S Madhusudan, MLA and former minister R V Deshpande on Thursday warned that the ongoing survey, being conducted after 95 years, risks under reporting the actual Brahmin population by scattering them under confusing codes such as 210 (Brahmin), 477 (Hoysala Karnataka), 802 (Madhva Brahmin), 1216 (Smartha Brahmin), 1227(Srivaishnava), 1228 (Srivaishnava Brahmin) and 209 (Brahmin Christian).
He urged community members to register simply as ‘Brahmin’ and not under different sects, arguing that fragmentation will rob the community of numbers and therefore due facilities and recognition.
Sources said the estimates of Brahmins number about 42 lakh across Karnataka, with nearly 15 lakh in Bengaluru alone. Traditionally, the community is divided into three main sects: Smartha Brahmins, Madhva Brahmins and Srivaishnava Brahmins. Brahmin Christians, who retain caste identity after conversion, also exist. But leaders said the census has arbitrarily split them up, making the community appear weaker than it is.
“This arbitrary categorisation not only distorts our demographic strength but also undermines our socio-economic representation,” said a person from the Brahmin community. “We demand a unified count to reflect the true size of our community.”