The Union cabinet meets this evening to decide on including a column on “caste” in the 2011 censu, a move seen as a tacit quid pro quo for the support of the the OBC leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sharad Yadav for their support in getting the cut motion passed in Parliament.
On the one hand, the Cabinet is said to have been divided on the caste issue when it was first raised following the announcement by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the floor or Parliament. On the other hand, the main opposition party, the BJP, which seemed to be in favour of the decision intially, is having second thoughts, too.
With sage voices within the RSS expressing themselves against any move to classify people on caste lines which will deal a blow to social harmony and, don’t laugh, “nullify all efforts of RSS and social organisations to bring about social harmoney”, the battle lines are drawn.
Question: Should the caste census go ahead or not?
churumuri 
I learned from Yogendra Yadav’s article in the Hindu that there are two possible types of caste census:
(1) one in which everyone is asked for his / her caste,
and
(2) the other in which a person is asked for his / her caste only if he / she belongs to SC, ST or OBC.
India has had the second type of caste enumeration for SC and ST folks so far. This census may continue the practice, by including OBC to the category of people whose caste will be enumerated.
I vote strongly for the first kind of caste census — the full monty, if you will. Such a census will make possible all kinds of sociological studies that are essential for evidence-based policy making.
For example, we now have no information at all on how well the ‘upper’ OBC castes are doing compared to the ‘lower’ forward castes. Answering such questions is impossible under the second kind of ‘limited’ census.
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There should be absolutely no caste based census. How could any sane person think about such a move to have caste based census! Enough is enough. It is high time that our country starts thinking progressively and get rid of castism slowly. Let us not go back to 19th century and start the same old problems all over again.
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The last word is RSS.
Both Congress and BJP has enough of them to favour the decision. Whatever the courts felt the necessity of caste composition census, ultimate decision will be ….. Who wants to give up the Raj.
This has far reaching effect and may very well change the paradigm of Indian politcs.
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Sure there should be. A blessing in disguise for the Brahmins! We will know about the status of Brahmins. They will be in Minority and fittingly can claim Minority status and benefits!
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Why not? Caste is a big reality in India and it is better to confront it rather than sweep it under the carpet and pretend all is well or all is going to be well.
However much one may idealistically pine for it, it is not going to go away any time sooner. It’s part of one’s identity – just as one is a Kannadiga, a farmer, an Indian, a Hindu etc.
The problem is not in carrying or retaining that marker of identity. The trouble is in using that as a basis of discrimination in the society by way of building the social pyramid, attendant ostracism and building barriers in social decision making – say in marriage, job recruitments, renting out a place and so on.
It is not as if many Indians will suddenly wake up to the fact that they have a caste marker and get casteist by noon. Even in these modern times pretty much everyone is aware of his/her caste and hence the fear that it will fuel the divisive tendencies and social unrest is bunkum.
If it is really divisive so will be the religion. So shouldn’t we do away with religion in the enumeration process? How about all being counted just as Indian – without any other markers such caste and language?
Let it be done and let the data be used in an effective way to fine tune some (rather most) of our white elephant social schemes including that holy grail – reservations.
When many of the schemes of Govt. have caste as a basis or an important parameter in policy, a clarity is welcome. Caste numbers should be used as just that – data.
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I think it is not so much the fact about mentioning one’s caste but the way the data could be misused that should get our attention. How does one ensure that data is confidential and would be used only for enumration? Once people know that they would be asked to state their caste, there is a good chance that they would not be so forthcoming and worse could be influenced by dominant groups in the region to accrue certain benefits. Political parties which hitherto advocated casteist interests covertly would start doing so more openly.
Such a decision should not be hurried through without looking at all the implications.
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If we are going to have caste based reservations/preferences its common sense to know the numbers at the least! Any other choice will only be an irrational one.
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Only if caste is included in the Census, then only, it can be ascertained as to how they caste has ever been benefitted by the Reservation Policy or not. We can also know whether the Reservation is being cornered by a small group of the SC, ST and OBC and only that group is getting the cream for their next kin for generations from 1950.
A way out should also found to de-Reserve stp by step and atleast in the next generation the merit find its prominance
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Somebody called Khan cant overcome his fixation for RSS. Growup kid!
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Including caste in census can give the following outcomes.
1) Identifying the castes which are still backward
2) Identifying the castes which were backward but are well progressed and can be considered as forward castes
3) Identifying the castes which were forward but regressed and can be considered as backward castes.
In the above three cases, case 1 is never a problem and case 3 should not be seen as a problem. The problem is with the case 2. In case 2, the people who are already enjoying the reservations will never forfeit the provision, even though they have progressed. And in the case 3, there will be new demands from the castes to include them in the reservation bracket.
Case 2 can be the interesting outcome. Because, it will tell us if there are any castes which progressed with the help of reservation benefits. It can show that reservations are actually a boon to the society and may lead to discussion in society on the ill-effects of reservations. On the other hand it may lead to more demands from the castes in case 3 and thus may lead to increase in the reservation bracket and there by decreasing the chances for the people from General Category.
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Everyone who wants to get reservation for their caste will give wrong information about his/her income.
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Caste is a curse imposed by God, if one exists, on this wretched country. We are destined to live with this leprosy for ever, until we are dragged down and down to our eventual doom, and our beloved leaders are sparing no efforts to make the whole country an untouchable leper in the society of nations.
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babuds, ‘wretched country’??!! Why don’t you just leave our country and go to some other paradise country instead of cursing and polluting it with your thoughts and presence ? People like you should be ashamed of how you feel and talk. What is your great contribution to our country?…..
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Ram:
>1) Identifying the castes which are still backward
Your comments are interesting. But, I am wondering how one would ‘measure’ backwardness?
Ask a respondent if he is forward or backward? Or ask him his income? In a census they can’t do all that with any degree of accuracy/confidence.
***
Dharma:
>A way out should also found to de-Reserve stp by step and atleast in the next generation the merit find its prominance
A caste census is not a way to do that. The right way to remove reservation is to restrict the reservation to only one generation of a family. i.e. if the father was a beneficiary of reservation, then his progeny won’t get it.
There is a simple logic behind this – If reservation system truly works, then by reserving seats you are pulling people out of backwardness.
Once you have done that, they can’t be deemed backward anymore!!
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