Karnataka - Bangalore

First caste-wise census in State

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The Karnataka State Backward Castes United Forum organised a seminar here on Sunday on the coming caste-wise census aimed at examining the social, educational, economic and living conditions of backward classes.

The survey, starting this month, will be the first of its kind after Independence. The Forum's working president, N.V. Narasimhaiah, said Karnataka will be the first State to conduct such a census. The last caste census was done in 1931. The results of this survey will serve as a model for future caste-wise census in the country, he said.

The programme, funded by the Central and the State Governments, will include a large number of enumerators doing a door-to-door survey. It will give a picture of the position of each caste, based on which welfare measures for them can be planned, Prof. Narasimhaiah said. He said that this task would be a "total comprehensive survey for the total uplift of the backward classes." The results will enable the backward classes to get the rights they deserve.

V.R. Sudarshan, Chairman of the Legislative Council, said that there is an urgent need to provide job reservation in the private sector in addition to existing reservation in Government jobs.

The former Minister H. Vishwanath said there are forces trying to prevent the survey from taking place. Such forces should be kept at bay.

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