Archbishop for restoring Hindu caste prefixes to Christian community after the final analysis

While several Hindu communities had objected to caste prefixes being added to Christian community (such as Brahmana-Christian, Lingayat-Christian, Kuruba-Christian etc.) in the caste list, the Archbishop of Bangalore has asked for their restoration in the published list after the final analysis of the ongoing Social and Educational survey.

The Karnataka Backward Classes Commission had masked 33 such names in the caste list after objections were raised.

Addressing presspersons here on Friday, Archbishop of Bangalore Peter Machado said he was hopeful that the government would restore the omission of certain castes linked to the Christian community in the final analysis.  “Deletions, if any, risk denying historical communities their rightful recognition and may cause injustice in accessing welfare schemes. The Church urges the government to take note of these exclusions and ensure fair representation of all Christian communities,” he said.

Welcoming the survey, he urged the government to ensure fair representation of all Christian communities. He called on members of the community to “take this survey seriously and responsibly, cooperating in a spirit of civic duty.”

Underlining the importance of the survey, the Archbishop said it would help identify the real beneficiaries of the government’s economic and social welfare policies. “The survey will provide a clear classification of different caste groups, enabling the framing of policies and programmes that are just, inclusive, and need-based, and it will assist the State in correcting disparities to ensure the weakest and most marginalised truly benefit,” he said.

He called upon the Christian community to cooperate and take the survey seriously, stating that “a fair and complete census is not only a constitutional exercise but also a step towards ensuring justice, equity, and welfare for all communities of Karnataka.”