Explained: Caste census, resistance within the BJP and obstacles to moving forward

After the passage of the Constitution 127A Amendment Bill in the Parliament, the demand for caste based census has increased. (express photo)

Putting on hold the growing uproar for caste-based census of allies as well as opposition, BJP The recently concluded monsoon session of Parliament has firmly stated that it will not conduct caste-based surveys as a policy matter.

The demand for a caste-based census, apart from regional parties from NDA ally Janata Dal (United) and Apna Dal, has risen following the passage of the Constitution 127A Amendment Bill, 2021, which seeks to empower states to identify other backward classes. restores. who are socially and economically backward.

The role of caste politics is illustrated by the fact that the Constitution 127A Amendment Bill, 2021, was the first and only thaw in a parliamentary deadlock as opposition parties supported the law, with 385 members voting in support and none The member was not opposing it.

Since then, Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar and his predecessor Jitan Ram Manjhi have demanded separate caste-based census. The same demand was raised by Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale a week ago.

In addition, the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Nationalist Congress The party (NCP) has also demanded that a caste-based census be conducted as part of the delayed census of 2021.

Amid the debate on the OBC Bill, the BJP faced embarrassment when one of its own MPs, Sanghamitra Maurya from Budaun in UP raised the demand for a caste-based census, stating that “in many states there is a demand for a caste-based census.” have also been counted, but not in the backward classes. ”

Clarifying the party’s stand on the matter, BJP MP Ashok Bajpai told FinancialExpress.com that further division of castes would weaken the society and increase discrimination. He said the BJP would not support caste-based census for vote politics, observing that “the country is bigger than votes”.

“After independence, we have always supported the formation of a society independent of caste to create social harmony. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia along with Mahatma Gandhi always started ‘Samaj Jodi, Jati Todo Andolan’. They all had the idea of That caste discrimination has already weakened our society.But we are unfortunate that political parties are promoting instead of discouraging these caste barriers.

He said, “If the census had to be done on the basis of caste, it could have been done after independence but our leaders believed that national unity can be achieved only by weakening these caste barriers. At a time when the separatist forces are working to divide the country, it will be difficult to save the country if a large part of our society is further divided.

JD(U) supports caste based census

Ever since the Center informed Parliament that caste-wise population counts other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes would not be counted in the upcoming census, Nitish Kumar and his party have made a strong pitch for a caste-based census. The Chief Minister of Bihar believes that the survey will help in better formulation and implementation of schemes meant for the welfare of various social groups.

The Bihar Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution in February 2019 and February 2020, seeking to calculate the caste-wise population in the next census.

Talking to FinancialExpress.com, JD(U) MP Ram Nath Thakur advocated a caste-based census, saying that it would determine the rise and fall in the population of both backward and forward castes, after which it would work for their upliftment and welfare. Plans will be drawn up. .

“Our stand is clear that the caste-based census will determine how much the population of upper and lower castes has increased or decreased and plans will be prepared on the basis of that data only. The British used to do the same, happened in 1931 and again in 2011, but it was not published.

Reacting to the stand of the BJP on the issue, Thakur said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi The demand has not been rejected and the party should know better why they were not in favor of a caste-based survey of the population.

Bajpai, however, objected to the JD(U)’s demand that the census already enumerates SCs and STs, and questioned why there was a need to conduct the census on the basis of caste.

“I request them not to raise such issues keeping in view the larger interest of the nation. When the survey of backwards is going on then what is the need to enumerate them on the basis of caste. Do they want to further divide the backward? The society is already divided into three classes, forward, backward and Dalit. How much more they will fragment the society, they should think about it,” Bajpai said.

Why would a caste based census be a difficult task?

Till date, there is no clarity on the population of OBCs in the population. The Mandal Commission had estimated this figure to be 52 per cent, suggesting school enrollment figures to be 45 per cent, while the NSSO survey of 2007 puts the number at 41 per cent. This increases the possibility of possible errors in the upcoming census, which may be the case in 2011.

Secondly, several communities like Jats in Haryana, Patels in Gujarat and Marathas in Maharashtra are demanding inclusion in the OBC category. It is possible that these and many other communities may be lined up for inclusion in the list as a result of the caste-based census.