One of many key points that the opposition raised earlier than the final common elections in February 2024 was the necessity for a caste-based census. Rahul Gandhi specifically was very vociferous on the topic. The BJP authorities’s method on this topic has been guarded as its key allies, Janata Dal (United), TDP and Lok Jan Shakti have expressed their assist for the proposal.
It’s not that such caste numbers weren’t out there earlier. The primary such nationwide census was carried out in 1872. In 1901, 1,646 distinct castes had been recognized, this quantity elevated to 4,147 in 1931. The latter was additionally the premise of the Mandal Fee report in 1980. The 2011 census collected caste-based information for the primary time after independence, nevertheless it was not made public. Nonetheless, the 2011 information can definitely be a superb base for any planning for the longer term. Surprisingly, nobody appears to be referring to it since in the present day it’s politically extra profitable to demand a recent caste census.
The JD(U) authorities in Bihar carried out a caste census in October, 2023 as a part of the occasion’s marketing campaign to woo the SC/ST/OBC and Dalit voters for the 2024 nationwide elections. With elections over, one can make certain that the info collected is resting in some file that almost all would have forgotten by now. It’s anyone’s guess if the Bihar authorities has made any headway in planning and execution of any worthwhile insurance policies primarily based on the findings of the survey.
The one motive that’s being touted by every body for a recent caste census is that it’ll carry out the precise numbers of such economically backward folks in several communities, which in flip will assist in planning, strategising and allocation of sources for his or her upliftment. Sadly, there isn’t a point out of the social evils hooked up to such forged tagging. Due to this fact, all these clamouring for a caste census should reply a elementary query first. Is such a census geared toward bettering solely the financial situation of the much less privileged sections of the society or is there additionally a extra critical want to beat the social limitations that set them other than others who’re higher positioned within the society?
It is very important perceive that each, the financial and social wants, are interconnected. It’s comparatively easier to outline and discuss concerning the monetary wants as an appropriate threshold may be laid out maintaining a minimal acceptable commonplace of life because the goal. The authorities can attain that aim of acceptable commonplace of life by a even handed mixture of doles, freebies and growth of such backward folks to get jobs or put together them for different vocations that assist them to earn a good residing. A prudent method will intention to scale back the freebies and doles with time whereas growing their talents to seek out jobs or pursuing different remunerative vocations. An essential level to notice right here is that each one such efforts and sources will solely be directed on the SC/ST/OBC and different such classes. Such applications won’t have an effect on remainder of the nation’s inhabitants.
However the moot query is that if the monetary standing of a ST/SC/OBC or Dalit citizen strikes up by a couple of notches, will his social standing too change mechanically? Will he change into acceptable in all aspects of the society and by all sections of the society? Will his centuries outdated tagging of being a SC/ST/OBC vanish in a single day as soon as he reaches a sure financial threshold? One must be naïve to reply these questions within the affirmative. Historical past tells us that social biases proceed even towards those that handle to enhance their monetary statuses. The large quantum of complaints and enquiries within the authorities providers to research the biases towards officers from such communities stand testimony to the truth that social biases proceed unabashed. It is a harsh actuality in educated and well-placed strata of the general Indian society. The state of affairs within the underdeveloped and rural areas is many instances worse.
This brings us to an essential conclusion that removing of social biases will not be a perform of economic standing alone. At the perfect it may possibly act as a facilitator or a begin level to set the ball rolling for removing of such social biases. Social distancing or biases are a perform of the thoughts set of each – the one being shunned and the one who shuns. Due to this fact, there may be an crucial want to coach and alter the mindset of each – the shunned and the shunner.
Enhanced monetary standing does assist in discount of social biases to a restricted extent however can by no means eradicate them in totality. The phenomenon of social bias is a two-way site visitors the place each the much less privileged and the extra privileged are concerned. Due to this fact, efforts will likely be required to coach each sections of the general society. In a nation with a inhabitants of over 1,400 million, this will likely be a humungous activity requiring huge sources and drive to coach the residents in all elements of the nation. The fact is that as a nation now we have solely paid lip service to handle this essential problem in final 75 years with out making any noticeable dent. Our faculties, schools and different social initiatives have failed to boost consciousness on this regard and so caste prejudices proceed to flourish.
From the aforesaid, it turns into clear that solely financial upliftment will not be the reply to overcoming the caste biases. Additional, such financial upliftment is the basic proper of each citizen of the nation and can’t be restricted to solely those that are socially backwards. Poverty is rampant amongst giant sections of those that belong to the higher castes too and so they can’t be ignored. Within the general pursuits of the nation, phrases like SC/ST/OBC, Dalits and so on. should be deleted from the nation’s vocabulary. Each citizen ought to have just one classification of being an ‘Indian’. Within the spirit of the structure, each Indian who’s financially weak or socially unequal must be uplifted no matter his faith, caste or social standing. This should be the premise for all insurance policies and initiatives which might be designed and executed for upliftment of the much less privileged.
Our structure talks of equality of all residents by proper. Are we not going towards this elementary proper if the federal government intentionally classifies some as SC/ST/OBC or Dalits by a caste census? Such tagging will be sure that they at all times stay unequal even in future. No quantity of financial upgradation will forestall that except the problem of social inequality can be addressed. The latter wants a generational change within the mindset of the nation as a complete together with the federal government and its management. Is it lack of information or sheer callousness in direction of the much less lucky that nobody is speaking of addressing the extra essential problem of social inequality?
(to be continued in Half 2)
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the writer’s personal.
END OF ARTICLE
