It is raining corporate and caste development boards in Karnataka. After establishing Kaadu Golla Development Corporation and Maratha Development Board, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has issued an order to establish a Veerashaiva – Lingayat Development Corporation with immediate effect.
Public opinion is divided over the creation of caste-based corporations and boards for political gain. Some welcome it, while others argue that the move will further divide society based on castes.
The Kaadu Golla Development Corporation was created with an eye toward Sira’s by-elections that the BJP won. The Gollas live in considerable numbers in the area and the BJP believes that they voted for the party after the corporation was formed.
Keeping an eye on the by-elections of the Basavakalyana Assembly, Yediyurappa announced the creation of a Maratha development board with seed funding of Rs 50 million. Large numbers of people from the Maratha community live in the constituency, which will soon go to the polls.
The creation of a Maratha development board has enraged Kannada activists who have threatened Karnataka Bandh in protest against the government’s “appeasement policies”. Now it has become a hot potato for the prime minister, as it implies pride and feelings for the language.
After the constitution of these two corporations, some Lingayats, who make up 16% of the state’s population, have begun to demand a separate body to look after the welfare of the community. Yediyurappa, himself a Lingayat and also considered the most powerful leader of the caste, approved an order to establish a corporation with immediate effect.
However, unlike other lower caste development boards or corporations, Lingayat Development Corporation has sparked controversy. Vokkaligas, the second most powerful caste after the Lingayats, are now demanding corporations for themselves.
SR Vishwanath, senior BJP MLA and political secretary of CM, has said that Vokkaligas also deserves a corporation along the lines of that created for the Lingayat.
While most of the Lingayat religious leaders and leaders have welcomed a corporation that serves the interests of their caste, some within the community have expressed their dislike for it.
Siddalinga Swamy, seer of a highly influential Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur, has questioned the logic behind creating boards of directors and corporations for each caste. Speaking to the media, he said it would set a bad precedent. Instead, he has called on the government to help the poor of all castes and religions.
Congressional senior leader MB Patil, who has led a movement for a separate Lingayat religion, has called BSY’s decision a mere political stunt that will ultimately serve no purpose. Patil has demanded a 16% reserve for the Lingayats on the lines of the Maratha reserve in neighboring Maharashtra.
“Even if the state government allocates 1 billion rupees to the Lingayat Development Corporation, it would be a small amount, because the community is very large. I ask Yediyurappa to allocate at least 5 billion rupees for the body, ”said Patil.
The Acting Chairman of the Karnataka Congress and a powerful Lingayat leader, Ishwar Khandre, has welcomed the decision. However, he said the corporation was being created with by-elections in mind.
Some argue that most boards and corporations have no real purpose and simply remain on paper with no powers and no funds to undertake welfare work.
Karnataka has already created Brahmin and Arya Vaishya Development Corporations for the higher castes. More than 100 castes belong to the Backward Classes Development Corporation.
The creation of caste-based boards and corporations will open a Pandora’s box, further dividing society along caste lines, some experts fear. Neighboring Andhra Pradesh has more than 60 caste corporations and their number continues to grow.
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