Modi govt to conduct ‘caste census’ in India, cabinet to include caste enumeration in exercise-OxBig News Network

Speaking on Union Cabinet decisions on Wednesday (April 30), Union Minister Ashiwini Vaishnaw said that the Modi government will conduct a caste census in India. The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has decided to include ‘caste enumeration’ in the forthcoming census exercise. 

Caste enumeration should be included in census instead of surveys: Ashiwini Vaishnaw

On caste census included with national census, Union Minister Ashiwini Vaishnaw said,  “Congress govts have always opposed the caste census. In 2010, the late Dr Manmohan Singh said that the matter of caste census should be considered in the Cabinet. A group of ministers was formed to consider this subject. Most of the political parties have recommended a caste census. Despite this, the Congress government decided to conduct a survey of caste or a caste census. It is well understood that Congress and its INDI alliance partners have used the caste census only as a political tool. Some states have conducted surveys to enumerate castes. While some states have done this well, some others conducted such surveys only from a political angle in a non-transparent way. Such surveys created doubts in society. To ensure that our social fabric is not disturbed by politics, caste enumeration should be included in the census instead of surveys….”

“Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has decided today that Caste enumeration should be included in the forthcoming census,” said Union Minister Vaishnaw on Union Cabinet decisions. The caste census will take place across the nation after almost 94 years. 

Govt to include caste enumeration in next census exercise

In a major decision, the government decided to include ‘caste enumeration’ in the forthcoming census exercise in a transparent manner. Announcing the decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, Ashwini Vaishnaw said the census comes under the purview of the Centre but some states have done caste enumeration in the name of surveys.

Alleging that the states ruled by opposition parties have done caste surveys for political reasons, the minister said it is the Modi government’s resolve to transparently include caste enumeration in the forthcoming pan-India census exercise. The census exercise was to commence in April 2020 but got delayed due to the Covid pandemic.

Lalu Prasad Yadav on caste census

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said, “During my tenure as the National President of Janata Dal, our United Front government in Delhi decided in the 1996-97 cabinet meeting to conduct a caste-based census in the 2001 census. However, the NDA government under Vajpayee later did not implement this decision. In the 2011 census, we once again strongly raised the demand for a caste-based count in Parliament. I, along with the late Mulayam Singh Ji and the late Sharad Yadav Ji, disrupted Parliament for several days over this demand. Parliament only resumed functioning after the then Prime Minister, the late Dr. Manmohan Singh, assured us of conducting a socio-economic survey. The first-ever caste-based survey in the country also took place in Bihar during our 17-month-long Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) government.”

“What we socialists thought about 30 years ago—things like reservations, caste census, equality, fraternity, secularism—others have only started to follow decades later. Those who called us casteist for demanding a caste census have received a fitting response. There is still much to be done. We will keep making these Sanghis dance to our agenda. Would you like this translated into a more formal or polished tone?,” Lalu Yadav added.