Upset by official count, Lingayats plan community census in Karnataka

Taken aback by leaked official data showing their dipping numbers, the influential Veerashaiva-Lingayat community in Karnataka is planning to hold a census to count the community’s real strength.

The Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha, a representative body, says it is all set to launch the unofficial census. The Mahasabha has developed a software that allows all sub-sects of the community to enter details such as education, employment, economic status and sub-caste.

All set for survey

Its secretary HM Renuka Prasanna told The Federal: "The Mahasabha has decided to conduct a caste survey to determine the population of our Veerashaiva-Lingayat community in the state.

“A software has been prepared for this, and the survey will be conducted at an appropriate time."

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The move comes in response to leaked information from the Backward Classes Commission which indicated a significant decline in the Lingayat population in Karnataka.

Powerful caste groups

Additionally, there is pressure from backward class leaders on the government to quickly implement the census to assert the strength of what is known as the AHINDA vote bank.

AHINDA is an acronym to denote the minorities, backward classes and Dalits.

The Siddaramaiah government is considering tabling the caste census in the upcoming cabinet meeting to clarify that AHINDA groups constitute the largest communities compared to the influential Lingayats and Vokkaligas.

AHINDA versus others

The primary objective of the Siddaramaiah government is believed to be securing AHINDA's support for the Congress and consolidating political power over Lingayats and Vokkaligas.

This is why the Lingayats are trying to conduct a private survey to prove their numbers in opposition to the government-conducted caste census.

Although the official report has not been released, information suggests that Dalits, backward classes and minorities top Karnataka’s population, followed by the Veerashaiva-Lingayats and Vokkaligas. This has sparked outrage among both the major communities.

Lingayats, Vokkaligas shocked

Leaked bits from the caste Census report by the Backward Class Commission indicate a decline in Lingayats from 17-18 percent to below 10 percent and that of Vokkaligas from 14 percent to nearly 8 percent. This has shocked leaders of both the communities who traditionally have wielded enormous influence in Karnataka’s politics.

In contrast, Dalits are now said to form 24 per cent in the state while backward classes collectively make up a whopping 55 per cent of Karnataka's population.

Incorrect representation

Lingayat groups claim their population decline stems from incorrect self-reporting as many registered themselves as sub-sects in the hope of seeking reservation benefits instead of the broader Veerashaiva-Lingayat category.

To address this, the Mahasabha plans a private census to determine their true numbers.

Lingayat leader and Karnataka minister Eshwara Khandre said the Mahasabha will start with the census in a select district.

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Government survey

During Siddaramaiah’s first tenure as chief minister in 2013-18, when H Kantharaj was the chairman of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, a socio-economic and education survey was conducted.

However, for the past eight years, the report has not been officially released even though three different governments had ruled the state.

BJP’s allegation

There are also accusations that the government’s caste survey was deliberately designed to target the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is using the caste census for his political advantage.

The Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha has units not only in Karnataka but also in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Different categories

In Karnataka, committees have been formed in all districts and around 150 taluks. The Mahasabha will conduct the survey through the taluk units.

The Veerashaiva Lingayat community consists of around 101 sub-sects, which are classified under different categories in Karnataka’s reservation list. More than half of these sub-sects fall under category-1 and 2A to avail government benefits in education, employment and other sectors.

Since many of these groups do not officially register as Veerashaiva or Lingayat in government records, determining the community’s exact population has been challenging.

Reservation concerns

Prominent sub-sects of the Veerashaiva Lingayat community such as Jangamas, Aradhyas, Panchamasalis, Adi Banajiga, Banajiga, Kudu Vokkaliga, Nolamba, Ganiga, Sadara and Sheelavanta, are officially recognized as Veerashaiva Lingayats in government records.

However, over 70 per cent of the sub-sects have avoided registering as Veerashaiva Lingayats due to concerns about losing reservation benefits, says Nagaraj Patil, a Lingayat.

The Veerashaiva Lingayat community is categorized under 3B in the state’s caste classification. Several sub-sects whose members that have not registered as Lingayats have secured reservation under category1 and 2A in the list of backward classes.

Eyeing reservation benefits

If they identify as Lingayats, they will be placed in category-3B, forcing them to compete for benefits with socially dominant groups within the community. This has led to anxiety among smaller sub-sects, Patil says.

Many Veerashaiva Lingayat sub-sects such as Agasa, Bovi, Kshourika, Madara, Chammara, and Koramas are classified under Scheduled Castes or backward classes in the reservation list, rather than as Lingayat sub-sects.

As a result, in the government’s caste survey, only the upper-sect Veerashaiva Lingayats were identified as Lingayats. Other sub-sects have not used the Lingayat label. It is uncertain if the sub-sects will take part in the Mahasabha’s caste survey, says Shankar Pagoji, general secretary of the Federation of North Karnataka Associations.

Pressure tactics

The Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha argues that the government’s caste survey underestimates the community’s population, leading to unfair treatment in education, employment and political representation.

The Mahasabha plans to release its survey results and pressure the government to accept them. How the government will respond to a caste survey conducted by a single community remains to be seen.