Devangas and the Caste Census: Will the Numbers Translate to Benefits?


The release of Karnataka’s caste census has brought renewed attention to the state's complex social fabric. One key observation from the report is a significant increase in reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs),from 32% to 51% based on their population strength. While this appears to be a move towards inclusive governance, it also raises a critical question for smaller communities like us: will we truly benefit from this shift, or be overshadowed by numerically dominant communities within the OBCs umbrella?

Our community, are traditionally associated with weaving and textiles has a rich cultural and spiritual heritage. Spread across Karnataka and South India, we have historically contributed to artisan industries, yet many sections within it remain economically vulnerable and socially marginalized. Despite being recognized as an OBC group, their voice in state politics and policy discussions has often been subdued.

For communities such as ours, the caste census presents two key opportunities:

1.The enumeration provides official recognition of our population, economic status, and access to public resources. For many smaller communities, this visibility is the first step toward targeted welfare schemes and inclusion in development plans.

2.With concrete data, our community can push for greater representation in public services, educational institutions, and political platforms especially if the data shows underrepresentation despite eligibility.

Even within the OBC communities the access to opportunities is difficulty because of dominant communities such as Vokkaligas, Kurubas, and others often corner a larger share of the benefits due to their political clout, organizational strength, and better access to information and education.

We being numerically smaller and less politically mobilized, risk being left behind unless there is:

A division of OBCs into categories like “More Backward” and “Most Backward,” ensuring that communities with deeper disadvantage are not competing on the same level as dominant castes.

Special educational scholarships, skill development, and employment schemes directed at smaller artisan-based communities.

Inclusion of Devanga representatives in OBC commissions and development boards to voice community-specific needs.

To ensure the benefits of the caste census do not bypass us, our leaders, institutions, and youth must actively:

Advocate for internal reservations or sub-quotas within OBCs.

Engage with policymakers to highlight community issues rooted in occupation, education, and healthcare.

Strengthen community networks to access government schemes and educational resources.

For our community, the caste census is not just a statistical exercise it’s an opportunity to claim space in Karnataka’s socio-political discourse. But mere recognition won’t suffice. 

The challenge lies in converting identity into empowerment, visibility into voice, and census data into meaningful development. Only then our community, will move from the margins to the mainstream of Karnataka’s socio economic development.


Devanga's Vidhana:
https://t.me/joinchat/T9PZE7wMJss2eol0
https://www.facebook.com/groups/115655385522020/?ref=share
https://www.facebook.com/vidhanadevangas/
Follow the Devanga's Vidhana channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va47xLnEAKWJmneqr60I
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