Karnataka panel drops 57 Christian sub-castes from socio-educational survey

BENGALURU: Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission has removed 57 Christian sub-castes from the socio-educational survey opening Monday, pursuing objections from ministers, protests by SC/ST and OBC groups, and a proposition by politician Thaawar Chand Gehlot.The determination means the survey questionnaire volition not database sub-castes. Enumerators utilizing a mobile app betwixt Sept 22 and Oct 7 volition grounds specified responses nether "others". Officials said respondents whitethorn inactive disclose their archetypal caste earlier conversion, but those entries volition besides beryllium filed nether "others".CM Siddaramaiah asked the committee to exclude the names aft the politician warned the database could deepen divides.

Opposition BJP had objected, alleging the workout could dilute the anti-conversion instrumentality and widen reservations to converted Christians."The caller nomenclature volition normalise conversion and promote the gullible to person without fearfulness of losing caste identity," Karnataka BJP Minorities Morcha president Anil Thomas said Saturday.Samajika Nyaya Jagriti Vedike president S Harish accused Congress govt of plotting "to integrate Christians into Hindu OBC communities" and of "labelling Hindu communities arsenic Christians".

Backward classes payment curate Shiavaraj Tangadagi countered that govt had not assigned labels: "During Kantharaju Commission survey, participants voluntarily identified themselves arsenic such. The disorder was sorted out."Siddaramaiah sought to chill tensions: "This survey is to seizure societal and acquisition backwardness of radical and to find retired their religion. If idiosyncratic is simply a practising Christian, the idiosyncratic volition beryllium listed arsenic Christian and not successful presumption of caste."Congress is assured Karnataka's survey volition travel Telangana's model, with nary rollback connected the broader policy.(Inputs from New Delhi)