JD(U), RJD close ranks after Centre rejects caste census
Two days back, Union minister of state for home told Parliament that there would be no enumeration of caste-wise population other than SCs, STs during Census 2021
PATNA: Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal (United) and main Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have closed ranks against the Centre’s decision not to conduct enumeration of caste-wise population in Census 2021 and have warned of a stir.
Two days ago, union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai had told Parliament that there would be no enumeration of caste-wise population other than scheduled castes and tribes during Census 2021.
Census is held every 10 years, but this time the enumeration process has got delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The last caste census was done 90 years ago, in 1931, as per which backward classes constituted 52% of India’s population.
As of now, the Centre has just one category, Other Backward Castes (OBCs), for reservation in jobs and admissions in educational institutions.
The term OBCs is used collectively to classify castes which are educationally or socially disadvantaged. This social group is other than the General Class, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes among the population of India. Currently, they have 27% reservation in government jobs.
“We are disappointed and pained by this decision. Castewise enumeration is necessary to identify backwardness in economically and socially weaker groups among backward classes and extend them benefits of welfare schemes. We want a caste-wise enumeration of population, and we will be press hard for it. We will be not sitting silent,” said K C Tyagi, national general secretary of JD(U).
Tyagi said his party, a constituent of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, will discuss the matter at the party’s national executive meeting in New Delhi on July 31 and is likely to pass a resolution seeking a caste census. “Chief minister Nitish Kumar will be attending the national executive,” he said.
Tyagi also spoke of divergent views on key issues among constituents of the NDA due to lack of a common minimum programme.
Upendra Kushwaha, JD(U)’s parliamentary board chairman, too has endorsed the need for caste-based census.
Leader of the Opposition, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav of the RJD, said the central government’s decision not to conduct a caste-based census was unjustified. RJD leaders said the party is planning to start an agitation soon.
“If there can be a count of animals, cycles, scooters and enumeration of population practising different religion in the Census, why can’t there be count of backward classes in each religious groups. It would only take an additional column in the census sheet. There will be no additional financial load on the public exchequer,” Tejashwi Yadav, who is in Delhi, said Thursday.
“BJP had supported the resolution passed by both houses of state legislature for a castebased census. But one of its puppet union ministers from backward classes was used to announce that there would be no caste census. Why isn’t the Centre keen to hold a caste census? Why does it have so much of hate for backwards,” Yadav said.
Nawal Kishore Choudhary, a political analyst, said rejection of a caste-based census by the Centre will have wide political ramifications in state politics. “Caste census is an important agenda for regional outfits like JD(U) and RJD, which have thrived on identity politics postMandal era since 1990s. JD(U) has also taken a different stand on population control legislation recently,” he said.
Since 1990s, former chief minister Lalu Prasad and his successor and incumbent CM Nitish Kumar have sought to woo backwards classes. While Yadav used the social justice plank to ride to power, Kumar, after taking over as CM in 2005, has sought to consolidate his party JD(U)’s support among extremely backward classes (EBCs), a subcategory within the OBCs he created after coming to power in the state, and also among all 22 subcastes among scheduled castes his government categorised as Maha Dalits.