Caste counts
CONTEXT
- Recently the voices for a fresh caste census are getting louder in the country after the Bihar Chief Minister led a delegation of 10 political parties of the State to meet the Prime Minister.
- No political party in the country has publicly opposed the demand as yet, and most have supported the call.
- Predictably, there will be more political mobilisation on the issue.
LAST CASTE CENSUS
- The last time India’s population was enumerated on the basis of caste was in 1931, when it was under colonial rule.
AGAINST THE CASTE CENSUS
- There is a strong argument that the colonial census was about creating and reinforcing caste and religious categories in India rather than recording them in a benign manner.
- Sceptics also fear that repeating the practice again will only widen social rifts.
- They also point to the multitude of practical problems such an exercise will encounter.
IN FAVOUR OF THE CASTE CENSUS
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- The supporters of a caste census cite following reasons in favour:
- Effective governance requires robust data on the governed.
- The creation of categories is itself a political act.
- Indian politics and the governance structure are all premised on categories that were firmed up during colonialism.
- The salience of caste as the fundamental marker of identity for an Indian has only grown since Independence.
- As the democratisation of society deepens, questions are being raised regarding the status of Dalits, tribal communities and a large section of the population that is characterised in the Constitution as Socially and Educationally Backward Classes.
- Political representation of these communities has increased and their participation in government jobs has risen.
- It is assumed that particular groups within each category have benefited disproportionately from political and job reservations, and there are demands for sub-quotas.
- This inequitable distribution of power and wealth endangers the stability of any society.
- Many communities are demanding inclusion in one category or the other, while some are feeling short-changed by the affirmative action steps of the state.
- With the role of the Government as a big employer diminishing, there is a demand for affirmative action in the private sector.
- All these questions are being debated without adequate and reliable data, leading to conflicting and often misleading claims.
CONCLUSION
- Partisan political gains should not be the motivation for a fresh census.
- A renewed vision for a just and united India, where all divides are reduced must guide the discussion on a caste census.
Reference:
- https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/caste-counts-the-hindu-editorial-on-census-and-partisan-political-gains/article36088071.ece
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