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What Does Caste-Based Census Entail?
What Does Caste-Based Census Entail?
Sputnik India
With only a few months left for 2024 General elections, the political activity in India have witnessed a sharp surge. Preparations of the political parties for the crucial polls are in full swing as they are coming up new strategies to take on each other.
2023-10-09T21:04+0530
2023-10-09T21:04+0530
2023-10-09T22:02+0530
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With only a few months left for 2024 General elections, the political activity in India have witnessed a sharp surge. Preparations of the political parties for the crucial polls are in full swing as they are coming up new strategies to take on each other.In one such move, at least 28 political parties including country’s main opposition party Congress joined hands to take on federally-ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).The alliance of these parties was named Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) during the second meeting on 18 July this year. Till now, the newly-formed opposition bloc has met thrice and is formulating strategy to put on tough fight against BJP in 2024 Parliamentary polls.As part of the strategy, the Bihar government comprising Janata Dal United (JDU), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress released caste census on 2 October which provided population of different castes in the state.Bihar is not the first state which has done caste census. Previously in 2014, Congress-led Karnataka state government undertook a similar exercise and named it as Social and Educational Survey with an objective to decide upon the proportionate reservations of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in accordance with the 127th Constitution Amendment Bill.Media reports suggest that the survey was conducted through April and May 2015 and the reports were submitted in 2016 but they were never made public.However, the results of exercise undertaken by both the states are still not clear.The political parties in several states have been demanding for caste-based census in order to give underprivileged communities more representation in government jobs and educational institutions.However, the caste census by Bihar state government has given a new agenda to the opposition ahead of crucial assembly elections in five states and 2024 Parliamentary polls.In India, a national census is done every 10 years and the last census was conducted in2011 but the 2021 census got delayed due to pandemic whereas the last caste-based census in the country was done in 1931 during the British rule.Sputnik India reached out to Amitabh Das, former IPS officer, an activist and Chairman of Bihar Viplavi Parishad (Bihar Revolutionary Council) to understand the impact of caste census conducted by the state government on national politics and its benefits for the marginal people.Das feels that the caste-based census conducted by the Bihar state government is an attempt of the newly-formed opposition bloc to corner BJP in the upcoming 2024 General elections.He denied the fact that such census is divisive because policies in India are brought and implemented according to caste as he cited the example of reservation policy under which quota is being given to people of lower caste with an objective of their social and economic upliftment.However, Das said that it is not divisive but political parties misuse it.The activist also said that the data of the caste-based census has been released in a hurry by the state government.Das further stated that the government has completely ignored the economic aspect of the caste census as only data related to the population of respective castes was released while other information like educational qualification, financial situation etc. were not released.Stating that the caste-based census is not much realistic and just a political gimmick, Das said that the recent census reveals that there has been a population explosion as Bihar has a population of 130 million and this is the main reason behind the state being one of the poorest in the country but no one wants to talk about it.
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What Does Caste-Based Census Entail?
21:04 09.10.2023 (Updated: 22:02 09.10.2023) After the Bihar government released the data of caste census in the state, several poll-bound states especially ruled by Congress have announced that they will also conduct similar census if voted to power.
With only a few months left for 2024 General elections, the political activity in India have witnessed a sharp surge. Preparations of the political parties for the crucial polls are in full swing as they are coming up new strategies to take on each other.
In one such move, at least 28 political parties including country’s main opposition party Congress joined hands to take on federally-ruling
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The alliance of these parties was named
Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) during the second meeting on 18 July this year. Till now, the
newly-formed opposition bloc has met thrice and is formulating strategy to put on tough fight against BJP in 2024 Parliamentary polls.
As part of the strategy, the Bihar government comprising Janata Dal United (JDU), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress released caste census on 2 October which provided population of different castes in the state.
Bihar is not the first state which has done
caste census. Previously in 2014, Congress-led
Karnataka state government undertook a similar exercise and named it as
Social and Educational Survey with an objective to decide upon the proportionate reservations of the
Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in accordance with the 127th Constitution Amendment Bill.
Media reports suggest that the survey was conducted through April and May 2015 and the reports were submitted in 2016 but they were never made public.
Similar exercise was done in Telangana by the State Commission for Backward Classes in 2021 and some media reports said that Odisha state government has also started their caste census from 1 May.
However, the results of exercise undertaken by both the states are still not clear.
The political parties in several states have been demanding for caste-based census in order to give underprivileged communities more representation in government jobs and educational institutions.
However, the caste census by Bihar state government has given a new agenda to the opposition ahead of crucial assembly elections in five states and 2024 Parliamentary polls.
In India, a national census is done every 10 years and the last census was conducted in2011 but the 2021 census got delayed due to pandemic whereas the last caste-based census in the country was done in 1931 during the British rule.
Sputnik India reached out to
Amitabh Das, former IPS officer, an activist and Chairman of Bihar Viplavi Parishad (Bihar Revolutionary Council) to understand the
impact of caste census conducted by the state government on national politics and its benefits for the marginal people.
Das feels that the caste-based census conducted by the Bihar state government is an attempt of the newly-formed opposition bloc to corner BJP in the upcoming 2024 General elections.
“This will have a big impact on national politics as Rahul Gandhi has started raising issue of the other backward classes (OBCs) while Chhattisgarh State Chief Bhupesh Baghel and Rajasthan State Chief Ashok Gehlot have announced that if voted to power they will also conduct similar census. They will also raise demand for similar exercise in other states too,” ex-IPS officer stated.
He denied the fact that such census is divisive because policies in India are brought and implemented according to caste as he cited the example of reservation policy under which quota is being given to people of lower caste with an objective of their social and economic upliftment.
However, Das said that it is not divisive but political parties misuse it.
The activist also said that the data of the
caste-based census has been released in a hurry by the state government.
“Several questions are raised on the authenticity of this census as a lot of people have complained that no one came to their house for the census. For example, according to Bihar government’s caste census Kushwaha community is only 4 per cent of the total population while the community claims that they are more than this. Similarly, Kayastha community claims that they have been completely eliminated from the state as the census shows that they are only 0.6 per cent,” he clarified.
Das further stated that the government has completely ignored the economic aspect of the caste census as only data related to the population of respective castes was released while other information like educational qualification, financial situation etc. were not released.
“There were 17 columns which were to be filled while doing the census. In this the families were asked about things that they own, educational qualification and other things but the data which was released had only the population of each caste. This also raises doubts on the intentions of the government,” ex-IPS officer stated.
Stating that the caste-based census is not much realistic and just a political gimmick, Das said that the recent census reveals that there has been a population explosion as Bihar has a population of 130 million and this is the main reason behind the state being one of the poorest in the country but no one wants to talk about it.
“All the political parties have made caste-based reservation a political tool and are using for vote bank politics. Reservation can be one tool for social upliftment but it can’t be the “only tool”. There are other things too like education, land reforms etc. which will actually be more beneficial for the vulnerable class but due to population explosion these can’t be implemented in a better way,” Das opined.
