Bangalore : Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty and her husband and Infosys founder Narayana Murthy have declined to participate in the socio-economic and education survey, commonly known as the caste survey in Karnataka, being conducted by the Congress-led government in the State.
Murty, in a self-attested letter to the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission, stated the family's refusal to participate in the survey, stating that they do not belong to a backward community and therefore would not participate in this survey.
In the letter, Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty stated that they were refusing to provide personal details. "We and our family will not participate in the census, and we are confirming it through this letter," the letter read.
Meanwhile, addressing reporters after a book launch ceremony, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, when asked about Sudha Murthy's statement that she would not provide information for the caste census, said, "We cannot force anyone to provide information. This is their wish."
Previously, Shivakumar asserted that the government was conducting a socio-economic and educational survey to provide justice to everyone after the state government had declared a 10-day holiday from October 8 to October 18 for government and aided schools, enabling teachers from these schools to participate in the survey.
Karnataka's socio-economic and educational survey started on September 22 and is scheduled to conclude on October 12 for the rest of the State, and October 24 for Bengaluru, following an extension from the original October 7 deadline. The survey aims to enumerate around 7 crore people in the state, and get to know about their social and economic status in society.
Addressing a press conference on the progress of the Social and Educational Survey at Vidhana Soudha, he said, "The Karnataka State Primary School Teachers' Association had appealed to the government to declare a holiday so that the teachers can participate in the survey as enumerators. In this backdrop, the State government has declared a holiday for 10 days."
"We held a meeting under the leadership of the Chief Minister to review the progress of the Social and Educational survey. As much as 90 per cent of the people have cooperated for the survey in rural areas and the government would like to thank them. We started the survey in the Greater Bengaluru area a little later due to the training of the Election Commission work. Twenty-five per cent of the survey was completed in Bengaluru. We held a meeting with the Commissioners of all five corporations and officials of the Education department," he explained.
"The government is conducting this survey to provide justice to everyone. I urge Bangaloreans to cooperate with the enumerators. People can also complete the survey online. The government will not pressure anyone to participate in the survey; people can provide the information they are comfortable with," he said.