Mysore/Mysuru: Prof. Ravivarma Kumar, former Chairman, Permanent Backward Classes Commission, has urged the State Government to make the caste census survey report got done by the previous Government public and implement the same to ensure social justice for all communities in the State.

He was speaking at a function organised in connection with ‘Social Justice Day’ by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Research and Extension Centre and Development Study Centre at Vishwajnani auditorium in Manasagangothri campus here on Saturday.

Prof. Kumar said the caste survey was done in 2016 by visiting every house in the State and computed details of all castes. But, the previous Government refused to accept the final report. A whopping Rs. 160 crore had been spent on this marathon exercise of collecting caste details from each and every house. This report would be panacea for all ongoing agitations seeking reservation. It contained details of every caste and its condition. However, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa was not ready to accept it, he noted.

Govt. behind quota row: He alleged that both the State and the Union Governments were encouraging the caste system resulting in the missing of social justice. In Karnataka, Yediyurappa was promoting the caste system. The State Government was spending crores of money on 16 caste-based Development Corporations. The CM formed a Development Corporation for his community and released crores of rupees the next day. This was nothing but anti-Constitution activities, he alleged.

Seers in politics: Prof. Kumar,  who is also a former Advocate General (AG), opined there would be no agitation for reservation if a secular Government was in power. 

“I don’t know why the pontiffs want politics. It will be an insult to sainthood if they wear the saffron clothes and do politics. This shows that the Seers are creating a non-Constitution power in the State. The agitation for reservation by Kurubas and Panchamasalis has the patronage of the Government,” he said.

Earlier, University of Mysore (UoM) Vice-Chancellor Prof. G. Hemantha Kumar inaugurated the function. 

Registrar Prof. R. Shivappa,  Visiting Professor at D. Devaraja Urs Chair K.S. Lingappa, Director of Dr. Ambedkar Centre Prof. J. Somashekar and Director of Development Study Centre Prof. B. Shankar were present during the occasion.

The BJP-led NDA Government uprooted the concept of Social Justice by amending the Constitution to provide 10 percent reservation for economically backward upper caste. Our hopes on senior Congress leader, M. Mallikarjun Kharge were dashed when he voted in its favour in Lok Sabha. It was strange that except DMK, no other political party, which got elected in the name of social justice, opposed the quota for upper caste. We had expected that Kharge will resign protesting against the reservation, but he was the first one to vote for it followed by other Congress leaders. —Prof. Ravivarma Kumar, former Chairman, Permanent Backward Classes Commission