Brahmin Leaders Dispute Caste Survey Data, Claim Underreporting of Community

The Karnataka caste census, officially known as the Social and Educational Survey, has come under fire from Brahmin leaders, who claim the survey grossly undercounts their population.

The report pegs the Brahmin population at 15.64 lakh, including:

• 11.85 lakh who identified simply as ‘Brahmana’
• 3.79 lakh spread across 58 sub-castes, with Goud Saraswat (1.14 lakh) and Havyaka (86,595) as the most populous

However, key voices in the community dispute these numbers:

• H.S. Sachidananda Murthy, former chairperson of the Karnataka State Brahmin Development Board (KSBDB), claims the population is over 42.5 lakh, based on internal surveys
• Ashok Harnahalli, outgoing president of Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Mahasabha, pegs the figure closer to 45 lakh, calling the official count “incorrect”

The Mahasabha is awaiting the state Cabinet’s final stance before launching protests.

Disputed Classifications:

• Confusion surrounds groups labeled as Daivagnya, Daivanga, and Viswa Brahmins, listed under OBC Category-2A. Critics argue these groups belong to the Vishwakarma community and should not be counted as Brahmins.
• Others, such as Srivaishnavas and Satani/Chattada Vaishnavas, have reportedly self-enumerated under Category-3B, leading to inconsistencies.

BJP spokesperson Vijay Prasad, an Iyengar, slammed the report as “politically motivated” and “riddled with manipulated figures.”

“If numbers become the basis for government programmes, we’ll suffer injustice,” said Murthy.

The controversy continues to grow amid a broader political debate over reservation reallocation and the accuracy of caste-based data.

Read also:

• Karnataka Caste Census Sparks Political Storm, Push for 51% OBC Quota
• Caste Census to Reshape Karnataka Politics, Says HM Revanna