The report submitted by ex-Judge Nagamohan Das Commission in Karnataka has courted controversy by blaming Hindu itihasas, puranas and scriptures as the reason for social inequality in the state. The report has quoted missionary propaganda on Aryan Invasion Theory and the North-South division. The BJP government in Karnataka not only accepted the report but its recent decision to increase the reservation percentage for SC STs also was based on this report.

The report had a lot of anti-Hindu tropes, like blaming  “emergence of Vedic philosophy” and “Brahmins, Upanishads, epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana” for social inequality and the caste system. Dravidian propaganda also found prominence as Justice Nagamohan wrote in the report, “From the very inception Karnataka came into contact with North India, there entered the Vedic system into Karnataka. Its influence has been greater than that of other religions”.

“In India, Aryan culture played a major role in transforming the culture of tribal communities into caste communities”, the report said and clubbed “Aryans” with Turks, Persians, Greeks, etc calling them invaders. That a person of his stature doesn’t know the meaning of the word “Arya” and so disconnected from the scientific world to repeat the debunked Aryan Invasion Theory shows the standard of the judiciary.

BR Ambedkar’s remarks abusing Brahmins have also been abundantly used in the report. Despite noting the presence of caste system and discrimination in other parts of the world, the judge attributes it to Bhagavad Gita as it talks about four Varnas. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) in Karnataka has condemned the remarks and sought the BJP government to not appoint him in any committee in future.

HJS spokesperson Mohan Gowda said, “He has, time and again, insulted our gods, goddesses and scriptures. All practicing Hindus must condemn this unequivocally”. Pointing out that Bhagwan Rama had appointed a Nishad community man as a king, he further said that the judge has wrongly interpreted and insulted Hindu scriptures. He requested the government to identify such persons and not appoint them in any committee.

Justice Nagamohan Das is a controversial figure having suggested granting separate religion status to Lingayats and appointing a Mujawar(Muslim priest) in a centuries old Hindu temple. He had also released a book titled, ‘Imran Khan Ondu Jeevanta Danta Kathe’ (Imran Khan, a Living Legend). In 2018, the then Congress government had accepted recommendations of Justice Nagamohan Das Committee to accord independent Religion status to Lingayats.

It also formed the SC ST reservation committee and appointed him as its chief. BJP had strongly opposed the move to accord separate religion status to Lingayats then, but chose to not only continue the SC ST committee headed by Nagamohan but to accept his report as well. The judge had called for expanding the 50% limit in reservation through legislation like Tamil Nadu and advocated for reservation in private firms as well.

Nagamohan was very vocal about the now withdrawn farm laws as well. He had spewed the same canards spread by the opposition. Retired judge Chandru, a Dravidianist, appears to be a friend of Nagamohan and has attended many events with him. In 2018, the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah had issued an order permitting a Mujawar to act as the priest of a centuries old temple based on Nagamohan Committee’s suggestion.

BJP had opposed the move and its national secretary CT Ravi said on Twitter that BJP will contest the decision in court. Sri Guru Dattathreya Swamy Peeta located in the high peaks of Chandra Drona range in Chikmagalur was under the control of Muzrai department until 1927. It was taken over by the Wakf Board in 1973, just a few days before declaration of emergency. Hindu organisations contested the take over in 1978 itself. But Muslims continued to spread propaganda that it was built by a Sufi saint who brought coffee beans to the mountain area.

The Karnataka High Court after observing the documents of Archeological and Muzrai departments, quashed the Congress government’s decision to appoint a Mujawar for the temple. The court observed that “the high level committee was not free from bias“. Despite being in the know of such precedents, the BJP government chose to meekly accept Nagamohan’s report abusing and insulting Hindu Dharma and people who follow it.

Perhaps it was the urge to look politically correct for votes, but at the least the report should have been perused and such misinterpretation and deliberate denigration of Hindu Dharma shouldn’t have been allowed. But it is a lot to expect from a political party which celebrates Hindu haters BR Ambedkar and EV Ramasamy aka Periyar as reformers.