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Hamletian Dilemma

By Varun Hari Prasad
At a Cabinet meeting held few days ago the Karnataka Government decided to conduct a fresh socio-economic and educational survey in order to revisit the reservation policy in the State. This effectively means that the Jayaprakash Hegde Commission’s recommendations, formulated on the basis of the findings of the survey conducted during the tenure of Kantaraj Commission, may not see the light of the day. This decision seems to have been taken after the intervention of the central leadership of the Congress Party. In this essay, I wish to share a few thoughts on this decision.

The Government’s Explanation & its Relevance

Addressing a Press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Karnataka Chief Minister Mr Siddaramaiah cited Section 11 of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, 1995, as the reason for the decision to conduct a new survey.

Section 11 of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1995 is as follows:
“11. Periodic revision of lists by the State Government.- (1) The State Government may at any time, and shall, at the expiration of ten years from the coming into force of this Act and every succeeding period of ten years thereafter, undertake revision of the lists with a view to excluding from such lists those classes who have ceased to be backward classes or for including in such lists, new backward classes.
(2) The State Government shall, while undertaking any revision referred to in subsection (1), consult the Commission.”

A plain reading of this section tells that the Act mandates the State Government to revise the OBC List, if required, on a decadal basis, in consultation with the State Commission for Backward Classes. Numerous Supreme Court judgements in matters pertaining to reservation have also asserted that sufficient empirical data is required to support the claim of backwardness of a particular caste. The State Government has used this yardstick to justify its decision to conduct a new survey.

While I have no objection to the State Government’s decision to have another survey, I don’t see any reason, to the best of my understanding, as to why a new reservation policy cannot be implemented in the interim period, on the recommendations of the Jayaprakash Hegde Commission, which is based on the socio-economic and educational survey conducted in 2015 by the Kantaraj Commission. This opinion isbased on the following reasoning: As mentioned in Section 11(2) of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1995, the State Government is mandated to revise the OBC List in consultation with the Commission. Currently the Karnataka State Backward Class Commission is functioning only with the Chairman. The members of the Commission are yet to be appointed. It is very likely that the process of appointing members of the Commission and conducting the new survey, based on which the Commission will be expected to submit a new report, will at-least a couple of years, going by the time taken by the Commission to submit its report on the 2015 survey.

Questions about the Authenticity of the 2015 Survey

Ever since the Jayaprakash Hegde Commission submitted its report, questions have been raised on the authenticity of the 2015 Survey, based on which the Commission has formulated its recommendation. The questions have not only been raised by the Opposition BJP and JDS, but questions have also emerged from within the state Congress. It is also a fact that most of the Opposition is from the two dominant communities in Karnataka, the Vokkaliga and the Lingayat community.

While it is the legitimate right of any community to raise questions on the authenticity of Survey, most of those opposing the findings of the Survey have not given any scientific reason to support their arguments opposing the Survey. Some arguments, to the best of my knowledge, seems to be only because as a political fallout the 2015 Survey, the political dominance of the Vokkaliga and the Lingayat communities is expected to reduce.

Dilemma within Congress Party

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had publicly defended the authenticity of the report and ensured that it was tabled in the Cabinet soon after the AICC Session in Ahmedabad in April this year. However, It is no secret that some senior Ministers and leaders of the Karnataka Congress are not in favour of implementing the recommendations of the Jayaprakash Hegde Commission’s report. Mr DK Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, who is also the President of the KPCC, has adopted a ‘neutral’ approach ever since the report was tabled in the Cabinet, by not making any public statement in favour or against the report. Some leaders of the Congress hailing from Vokkaliga and Lingayat community have openly opposed the report.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Mr Rahul Gandhi has been championing the cause of Caste Census since the Bharat Jodo Yatra. It was also a party of the Congress Manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Congress Government in Telangana undertook a socio-economic and educational survey in the State and has revised the reservation policy in Telangana. But when it comes to Karnataka, the Congress High Command has not been able to fulfil this promise.

While Mr Rahul Gandhi and Mr Siddaramaiah have publicly made statements in favour of upholding social justice, the party seems to be apprehensive about antagonising the Vokkaliga and Lingayat community by implementing the Jayaprakash Hegde Commission’s report, which is based on the 2015 survey.

However, the Party must also remember that such flip-flops might result in some of the AHINDA communities moving away from the Party.

The Way Ahead

Going forward, my opinion is that the Congress led Government in Karnataka must consider giving in-principle approval to the Jayaprakash Hegde Commission’s report till the new survey is conducted and a report based on its findings is submitted. The Chief Minister should also consider convening a special session of the Assembly so that people of the State knows who stands where as far as the report is concerned.

As of now, it appears that the politically dominant communities seems to have prevailed over the Congress High Command in ensuring that decision on this issue is deferred at-least for now. But will the Congress party defy pressure and fulfil its promise of ensuring social justice well before next Assembly election? Only time will tell.


*AHINDA is a Kannada acronym widely used to depict SC, ST, OBC and Minority communities

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