Editorial: Ambivalence on caste census

The BJP’s problem with the caste census stems from its ideological positioning, a move it feels will only benefit the opposition

The conflicting signals emanating from the Centre over caste-based census show that the NDA is on the defensive over the sensitive issue ahead of the elections. It filed two back-to-back affidavits in the Supreme Court; the first one raised objections over the Bihar government conducting the survey on the grounds that the task falls in the exclusive domain of the central government while a fresh affidavit sought to correct “certain paragraph that had inadvertently crept in”. The apparent flip-flop betrays the government’s anxiety, about not wanting to be seen as opposing the caste counting in Bihar. Politically, the BJP leadership has been adopting an ambivalent stand on caste census. The Centre’s affidavit in the apex court, however, argues that a census is a statutory process governed by the Census Act of 1948 which empowers only the central government to conduct the census. The BJP’s problem with the caste census stems from its ideological positioning. The caste counting is fundamentally at odds with its agenda of Hindutva, seeking vertical integration of all castes under a single umbrella and also not suitable for it politically. It feels such a survey will only benefit the opposition speaking of empowerment and social justice. While Bihar’s caste survey is complete, similar surveys are being conducted in Odisha and Jharkhand. The Nitish Kumar government launched the exercise in Bihar in January this year, stating that detailed information on the socio-economic conditions of the people would help create better government policies to aid the disadvantaged groups.

There is a growing resonance for the demand for a caste census in the country to fine-tune the idea of social justice. This comes at a time when jobs and economic opportunities for the disadvantaged sections have been shrinking and the social disparities widening. There is a need for deploying Mandal as a political tool to blunt the campaign of religious polarisation being pushed by the BJP ahead of the polls. By trying to lure certain sections of the OBCs and reaching out to Pasmanda, a backward community among Muslims, the saffron party is trying to co-opt Mandal and blend it with Mandir politics to gain electoral mileage. There is a need for conducting a national caste census to identify socially, economically, and educationally backward communities and increase reservations proportionate to their population. Without reliable data, no welfare programme can be effective. It is surprising that a nation that runs such a large affirmative action programme based on caste has not been collecting data on the educational and economic profile of castes. It is ironic that while caste plays a dominant role in India’s social, economic and political life, there is still no credible and comprehensive caste data. A reliable caste census is essential to ensure social justice. The NDA government must shed its ambivalence on the matter and take up the exercise at the national level.

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