NEW DELHI: Caste census, which has been a key demand of a number of opposition events within the final many elections, will lastly be a actuality with the Centre on Wednesday asserting nationwide caste depend together with the following inhabitants census.
The federal government, which had until now strongly resisted opposition calls for for a caste census, justified its U-turn, citing the “political and non-transparent” caste enumeration being carried out by some opposition-ruled states within the identify of surveys.
Asserting the choice taken by the Cupboard Committee on Political Affairs, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated the census comes below the purview of the Centre, however some states have performed caste enumeration in “non-transparent” method, which has created doubts in society.
“Contemplating all these info and to make sure that the social cloth is just not disturbed by politics, caste enumeration must be transparently included within the census as an alternative of surveys,” the Union minister stated.
Nonetheless, the opposition was fast to assert victory and, as anticipated, there have been many credit-takers inside their ranks. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who had made caste census a key subject within the final a number of elections and was very aggressive along with his assaults on the federal government, welcomed the “sudden” determination and stated, “We would like folks’s census, not bureaucrats’ census.”
“We had stated in Parliament that we’ll make the caste census occur. We had additionally stated that we’d scrap the 50 per cent cap, the bogus wall that’s in place. Narendra Modi used to say that there are simply 4 castes. Do not know what occurred however instantly after 11 years, caste census has been introduced. We utterly help it, however we would like a timeline. We wish to know that by when it will occur,” Rahul stated.
The Congress chief was additionally fast to pitchfork the party-ruled Telangana mannequin of caste census as a blueprint for the nationwide depend. “This is step one. Telangana has turn out to be a mannequin in caste census and it might probably turn out to be a blueprint. We provide our help to the federal government in designing the caste census. There are two examples – Bihar’s and Telangana’s and there’s a huge distinction between the 2,” he added.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad stated that the Centre’s determination is yet one more instance of how socialist concepts, as soon as dismissed or ridiculed, are ultimately adopted by mainstream political forces.
“What we socialists proposed 30 years in the past — be it reservation, caste census, equality, fraternity, secularism — others take a long time to comply with. There may be nonetheless an extended method to go. However make no mistake — we’ll preserve making these Sanghis dance to our agenda,” Lalu Yadav stated.
Communist Occasion of India (Marxist) MP John Brittas claimed the federal government has performed a “volte-face” in view of the upcoming Bihar elections.
“Welcome the caste census, although it’s a reversal trying on the Bihar elections. The PM had stated he solely recognised 4 castes — the poor, youth, ladies, and farmers!! This volte-face is okay however this nation has been denied of the census which was due in 2021!” he stated.
The Centre’s determination to incorporate caste enumeration within the forthcoming census train was a “hard-earned victory” for the DMK and Tamil Nadu authorities, stated Tamil Nadu CM M Okay Stalin.
The DMK chief stated: “After the failure of all its makes an attempt to disclaim and delay the much-needed caste enumeration, the Union BJP Authorities has lastly introduced that will probably be carried out together with the forthcoming Census. However key questions stay unanswered – when will the Census start? When will it conclude?”
“The identical Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) who as soon as accused opposition events of dividing folks on caste has now yielded to the very demand, he maligned repeatedly,” the Tamil Nadu CM stated.
Caste census was important, however not non-obligatory, for goal policymaking, focused welfare, and the pursuit of actual social justice. “You can not treatment injustice with out first recognising its scale,” he added.
For the Tamil Nadu authorities and DMK, this was a hard-earned victory. “We have been the primary to undertake a decision within the Legislative Meeting demanding caste census. We championed this trigger in each discussion board. We reiterated this demand in each assembly with the Prime Minister and thru a number of letters, persistently urging the Union Authorities to take duty,” Stalin stated.
Sarcastically, a number of allies of the BJP within the NDA additionally welcomed the Centre’s determination.
The JD(U) stated it was its president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar who created a beneficial floor for the event by finishing up a caste survey in Bihar. Its working president, Sanjay Kumar Jha, stated the choice will assist make a programme for the disadvantaged sections of the society extra focussed.
Lok Janshakti Occasion (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan stated it is a crucial determination in nationwide curiosity, saying that his celebration had lengthy known as for it. The choice shall be a giant step within the nation’s equitable growth, the Union minister stated, including that caste census will assist “make extra simply and targeted insurance policies”. Paswan stated that “deceptive claims” have been made about relations between him and the central authorities over the problem, and that the choice is a transparent reply to such rumours.
Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde known as the federal government’s determination a historic milestone within the nation’s journey in the direction of social justice that may assist in the equitable distribution of sources. “The caste census will usher in a brand new period of social justice by enabling correct policy-making based mostly on the precise demographic information of various castes,” Shinde stated.
A number of BJP leaders and Union ministers welcomed the federal government’s transfer and slammed the Congress for its double requirements on the problem.
Residence minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda and a bunch of different leaders, together with the celebration’s OBC faces, lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan describing it as an unprecedented growth in the direction of the reason for social justice.
Now, distinction this to what Prime Minister Modi had stated on caste census when 26 opposition events led by the Congress below the INDIA bloc had handed a decision in favour of caste census.
“The Congress is making an attempt to create a divide amongst folks within the identify of caste, language and area in its try to regain energy,” the Prime Minister had stated in February 2024 at an election rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua district.
Clearly, with the opposition’s relentless caste census pitch, the BJP appears to have made a course correction. The saffron celebration will hope that this transfer will depart the opposition bereft of an necessary election plank, particularly in Bihar, the place elections are due later this yr. The opposition, in the meantime, won’t simply declare victory however may also declare that its constant strain had compelled the federal government to vary its stand on an necessary social subject. As Rahul Gandhi claimed, “we’ve proven that we will strain the federal government.”
(With inputs from businesses)
