Major Opposition Parties and State Leaders have met India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, arguing in favour of counting Caste in the country’s census.
As critics raised their demand, saying BJP fears that a count could spark more demands for quotas.
So, before understanding the current stance of people’s mandate and political unrest, we need to know why this situation arose.
Why has BJP led Government opposing a caste census?
With opposition saying the Government’s is playing a calculated move on caste census, the ruling Government says they do not want to do caste count “as a matter of policy”.
We will see the election in Uttar Pardesh, an essential state in Indian politics. And it is seen that Government doesn’t want to stir any issue which might welcome any surprising result in state polls.
Caste is a very crucial factor in every Indian election from Panchayat to Parliament.
Lower Caste says that identity is a reality; they struggle with it every day, and only a privileged society can afford to overlook Caste.
In contrast, the Government has argued that it would lead to the perpetuation of caste identities.
All parties in Bihar, except the BJP, have demanded a count of caste numbers in the 2021 census.
A delegation of leaders from 10 political parties of Bihar meets with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On Monday at 11 am the delegation led by chief minister Nitish Kumar including RJD’s leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Minister of Education and Parliamentary affairs Vijay Kumar Choudhary, former chief minister and president of Hindustan Awam Morcha Jitan Ram Manjhi, Congress leader Ajeet Sharma and BJP leaders and others meet PM Modi in Delhi to discuss a Caste-based census.
After the meeting, Nitish Kumar said the PM gave a patient hearing to the views of all delegation members.
He said he is grateful to the PM for listening to delegations. People in Bihar and the entire country agree on this issue. Now, he has to decide on it.
The first time he repositions himself after the drubbing 2020 state assembly election, which saw BJP gaining the upper hand.
He added that they brief the PM on how resolutions have been passed twice in the state assembly on the caste census.
While Tejashwi Yadav, RJD is demanding not only caste census in Bihar but in the entire country.
He argued if the animals, trees can be counted, so can people, caste census will be a historic pro-poor measure.
Yadav claims that the census can help the Government prepare relevant benefit schemes for people from different sections of the society.
Senior party leader and Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar, Sushi Kumar Modi, emphasised the stance of BJP and said they are never against caste census as such as BJP was part of the unanimous resolutions that have passed in the Bihar state legislature.
He added that the report of the Socio-economic caste survey conducted during the UPA government could not subsequently be made public, as it contains crores of errors.
But also insisted on several technical and practical problems in achieving a caste census, BJP, in principle, remains in support of the demand.
While Tejasjwi Yadav countered Government by saying that if the census based on religion could be held in the country, then why not a caste census on the same line?
In Karnataka, there has been piling pressure on the BJP-led Government to realise the social-economic and education survey or caste census.
Chief minister Basvaraj Bommai said on Monday, “Everybody’s free to meet the Prime Minister. The matter is there in front of the court as well as the backward classes commission. We are examining it,”
Now, as Nitish Kumar said, it is upto PM’s take decision on it.
For Indian’s is it just a wait and watch situation will The PM will nod to the demand for the caste census to the wishes of Bihar’s delegation led by their ally and opposition.
Considering these, there is a need to think if there is any need for caste census or reservation in India after 75 years of Independence?
