75% of Karnataka SCs still face untouchability,says panel

As many as 75% of Scheduled Caste (SC) members in Karnataka continue to face untouchability, with the Madiga community bearing the brunt of discrimination, according to the Justice H N Nagamohan Das Commission’s report on internal reservation.According to the survey which collected data on atrocities and social discrimination against SC communities, found that Madigas accounted for 7.59 lakh complainant households, followed by Holeyas with 6.53 lakh, Lambani (Banjara) with 3 lakh, and Bhovi with 2.48 lakh complainant households.“Of late, the magnitude of atrocities has increased. Cases of atrocities on SC women, mass killings, and making victims eat human excreta have risen,” the report stated.
The commission classified 15 castes as facing ‘more social discrimination’, 28 castes as facing ‘middle-level discrimination’, 38 castes as facing ‘less discrimination’, and 22 castes as facing ‘no discrimination’. This assessment covers all 101 castes on the SC list, along with two communities identified as “don’t know” and “non-SC.”Forms of oppression cited in the report include denial of temple entry, restrictions on community dining, prevention of entry into public spaces, bonded labour, separate seating arrangements, separate drinking glasses, sexual violence, discrimination in schools, and other social exclusion practices.
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, the state recorded 8,884 atrocity cases against SCs. The Adi Karnataka (AK) community lodged the highest number of cases at 3,069, although the category includes individuals from multiple SC sub-groups. Ten communities reported more than 100 cases over the past five years — among them Madiga, Holeya, Lambani, Bhovi, Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida, Chalavadi, Korma, Moger, and Chamar.Conversely, the report identified 45 castes that did not file a single complaint during this period. However, the commission clarified that the absence of cases does not imply the absence of discrimination. “Even small and sensitive castes face discrimination, but they lack the empowerment to question it. Since these communities depend on others for their livelihood, they do not register complaints,” the report noted.
It further observed that communities that are socially, economically, educationally, and politically better-off are more likely to challenge atrocities and pursue legal recourse. Factors such as population strength in a region, legal awareness, and courage to challenge entrenched social structures also influence whether incidents are reported.
“Forget questioning atrocities, many communities are unable to overcome the fear of social hierarchies. The atmosphere conducive to challenging such oppression has not yet been created,” the report concluded.

(State Correspondent)