Update

Preparations are on for the Caste Census in Karnataka. This will be the first state in the country to hold Caste Census after first such exercise was undertaken on a national scale in 1931.

Karnataka Backward Classes Commission chairman Mr. C. S. Dwarkanath while addressing a seminar at the Indian Social Institute here on September 15 said currently 33 Muslim occupational groups fell under ‘Most Backward Communities’ or class I category in Karnataka. These groups mainly belong to castes such as Kasab, Phoolmali, Pinjara, Dervesh, Fakir, Takara, Chhapparband, etc and were entitled for reservation under category I while general Muslims as a social group were entitled to four per cent reservation under category II which is known as ‘More Backward Communities’. Mr. Dwaraknath said most Muslim representation regarding inclusion of caste groups were being made to the Karnataka State Minorities Commission whose jurisdiction was mainly to look into issues pertaining to discrimination on religious grounds etc. He said it was the Backward Class Commission which needs to determine the social and educational backwardness of the commu-nities which in turn leads to economic backwardenss. He said the Caste Census will be held in the first fortnight of April 2009 and preparations were on to measure the backwardenss on 67 different variables. He said he had instructed the staff of the commission to insert advertisements in Urdu newspapers as well. He urged the NGOs to create awareness about the Caste Census for which the Central Government had allocated Rs. 22 crore. He said Karnataka was a pioneering state in term of backward class reservation in the country.

Mr. Syed Tahsin Ahmed, secretary Karnataka State Minorities Commission said it was imperative that minorities presented their caste affiliation claims to the Backward Class Commission in a substantial manner in order to initiate measures directed at remedying their social and educational deprivations. He said often tahsildars at taluka levels refuse to give caste certificate to Muslims or Christians on the grounds of their being religious minorities. The Government had issued circulars to tahsildars to do a mahazar (on the spot enquiry) and issue the certificates. He said often the caste names appeared with different spellings e.g., dervish being spelled as Dervesu, Dervesi or simply Derves. This was mainly because the circulars or gazette notifications underwent translation (or transliteration, to be more precise) in newspaper advertisements or circulars from Kannada to English and vice versa. He said the Government is looking into it and possibly all spellings will be included in future circulars.

Journalist Maqbool Ahmed Siraj said while religious identity could change with the conversions from one faith to another, caste is not a changeable marker identity. It was traditionally determined by birth, ascending order of holiness and descending order of lowliness, untouchability, ‘unseeability’, or even endogamy and occupational profile of people. He said people clung to caste identity despite migrating to advanced countries of the West as well as those reading the English newspapers. ‘It simply cannot be rubbed off. It was a myth that Islamic egalitarianism deleted caste distinctions. Of course, mosque portals were open to all, but people stuck to their caste affiliations when it came to marriage or social intercourse’, he added. Focussing on history of reservations in the State, he said Karnataka brought about reservations as early as 1887 as Maharaja of Mysore himself belonged to backward Urs caste. The reservations were enhanced following recommendations of Fr. Leslie Brown Commissions in 1616 and Brahmin dewan of the then Mysore State, Sir M. Visveswaraya resigned in protest against the measure. Mr. Siraj said Caste Census was a unique opportunity to measure the backwardness of the community on very substantial grounds.

The convener of the Seminar Mr. Kasam said the NGOs have a huge role in cooperating with the State authorities in determining deprivations of various social groups.