Bengaluru: In a significant move reflecting growing public scepticism over the Congress government’s caste-based politics, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murthy have declined to participate in Karnataka’s ongoing socio-economic and educational survey, known as the caste survey.
In a self-attested letter submitted to the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission, the Murthys made it clear that they do not belong to any backward community and, therefore, see no reason to take part in such a caste-oriented enumeration. The couple also expressed their unwillingness to share personal details for the survey, saying their decision was final and self-declared in writing.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, when questioned about the Murthys’ refusal, said the government cannot compel anyone to provide information, adding that participation remains voluntary. Earlier, Shivakumar had justified the exercise, claiming it was aimed at ensuring “justice for all” and announced a ten-day holiday for government and aided schools so that teachers could act as enumerators.
The Congress-led government launched this survey on September 22, initially scheduled to conclude by 7 October but later extended to 24 October in Bengaluru. Officials say the drive seeks to enumerate nearly seven crore residents across the state, categorising their social and economic backgrounds.
The ongoing Karnataka caste census, conducted by the State Commission for Backward Classes, features 60 core questions and 20 supplementary ones aimed at mapping the social and economic profiles of residents.
While the Congress has defended the survey as a “social justice initiative”, critics view it as yet another attempt by the party to revive its traditional vote-bank politics centred on caste identities. Since Independence, the Congress has repeatedly relied on divisive social engineering, crafting electoral narratives that pit one group against another while conveniently avoiding serious discourse on economic revival, infrastructure growth, or employment generation.
India’s society, however, has evolved far beyond such divisive frameworks. The refusal by figures like Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murthy symbolises a growing societal rejection of identity-based politics. For a large section of the educated and aspirational middle class, the Congress’s obsession with caste data reflects its desperation to remain politically relevant, not a genuine concern for inclusivity.
Even in Telangana, the Congress government has attempted a similar caste survey, but inconsistencies and delays in releasing the findings have already triggered doubts about its intentions. The pattern is clear: instead of addressing developmental issues, the Rahul Gandhi led Congress party continues to rely on social fragmentation to retain power.
Observers argue that the Congress today stands exposed as a party without vision or direction, having failed to deliver on its five pre-election guarantees.
The refusal by the Murthys is, therefore, more than a personal decision, it is a quiet statement against the Congress’s politics of division. With no concrete economic or developmental agenda to offer since 2 years, the party appears to be buying time through caste-based distractions, masking its inability to govern effectively and deliver real progress.
The state’s industries, particularly the technology sector that once made Bengaluru a global hub, are now reportedly scouting for investment alternatives due to declining administrative efficiency and political instability.
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