Caste survey stirs trouble in Karnataka Legislative Assembly

BELAGAVI: The disclosure of the caste details of individuals on the website of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission triggered a heated debated between members of Opposition and ruling party with Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa defending the move on Wednesday.

Mr Thimmappa’s support to the caste survey was endorsed by Congress senior legislator K. R. Ramesh Kumar and other members ensuring that Opposition leader, Jagadish Shettar, admitting that there was nothing wrong in carrying out caste census but he asserted that the state government should maintain secrecy about data collected during the exercise.

Participating in a debate on development of north Karnataka region in the Legislative Assembly, Mr Shettar lashed out the ruling party for disclosing details of individuals on the website. “This is nothing but breach of privacy and trust. The state government had promised to keep personal details a secret before carrying out the survey, but it has failed to keep its promise,” he charged.

Mr Govind Karjol, BJP, alleged that disclosure of caste of individuals would hit Dalits and people from other lower castes more severely than upper caste people. “As untouchability still persists, Dalits and other lower caste people had been lying about their caste and occupied houses on rent. With disclosure of details on the website, many those who have lied might even be asked to vacate their houses. The state government had unleashed another weapon to promote untouchablity in a bigger way,” he added.

Mr Ramesh Kumar, however, asserted that the caste system prevails in the society from time immemorial, and there was nothing to hide about it. “Our society is driven by caste system since ancient times. Let us accept this truth. Let us not run away from it,” he added.

Intervening in the debate, Mr Kagodu Thimmappa said there was nothing wrong in disclosing caste details of an individual. “Everybody knows which caste I belong to. I do not have any objection. Every one of us (MLAs) has mentioned our caste on more than one occasion, so it will be wrong on our part to prolong this issue,” he added.