Bengaluru: Karnataka politics is once again caught in turmoil, and at the center of it is Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Even as his deputy, DK Shivakumar, gathers strength and his supporters openly push for a change of leadership, Siddaramaiah has turned to a dangerous political experiment the caste census to safeguard his chair. What is being projected as a “social, economic, and educational survey” is, in reality, a thinly veiled attempt to divide Hindu society and cling to power by engineering caste arithmetic.
Union Minister Prahlad Joshi has pointed out the glaring flaws in this exercise. While the union government has already decided to conduct a nationwide census, the Congress government in Karnataka has rushed into its own caste survey, with a political agenda stitched into its design. The questions being asked to reveal the true intent: not empowerment, but manipulation. By inserting categories such as “Christian Lingayat” or “Christian Brahmin,” the survey goes beyond data collection, and it attempts to legitimize conversions and encourage the fragmentation of Hindu society.
Siddaramaiah has repeatedly said that he will remain Chief Minister for a full five years. But if his position were truly secure, why this desperate gamble? The answer lies in the growing factionalism within his party. DK Shivakumar’s supporters are increasingly vocal about replacing Siddaramaiah with their leader. Faced with this internal rebellion, Siddaramaiah sees the caste census as his survival card. By attempting to consolidate certain communities behind him, he hopes to offset the pressure from the DK Shivkumar’s camp and secure his political longevity.
This is not governance it is survival politics of the worst kind. At a time when the state is facing pressing issues like unemployment, farmer distress, and infrastructure bottlenecks, Siddaramaiah has chosen to pour public resources into a divisive survey, prioritising his chair over the welfare of Karnataka.
The Congress government’s caste census is not about social justice; it is about vote-bank politics. Questions such as “Have you joined any social organization?” or the bizarre categorization of Hindus into micro-sub-castes betray a deeper agenda. It is clear that the ruling party wants to pit communities against each other and exploit these divisions for electoral gains.
As Joshi highlighted, this census does not strengthen society it weakens it. By creating artificial categories and sowing suspicion among communities, it risks tearing apart the very social fabric of Karnataka. Veerashaiva-Lingayat elders have already expressed concern, reminding everyone that “all are Hindus, irrespective of caste.” Yet, the Congress government seems intent on pushing ahead, ignoring the voices of unity in pursuit of narrow political advantage.
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