Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje recently stated that while a census will be conducted in India, it will not be based on caste, as suggested by the Congress party. Karandlaje made these remarks while speaking to the media in Mumbai on Tuesday, clarifying that the census, originally scheduled for 2021, was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Union Minister emphasised that the country cannot be divided along the lines of caste and religion. "There will be a census, but it will not be based on caste. We cannot divide the country on the basis of caste and religion. Congress is doing this.
For us, the country is one. ‘Ek hai toh safe hai’," Karandlaje said. She also accused Congress of attempting to divide the country for political gain, specifically mentioning their actions in Karnataka, where, according to her, farmers' land was being given to the Waqf Board to appease Muslims.
The issue of a caste-based census has gained traction in the political discourse ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), a coalition of political parties in Maharashtra, has promised to conduct a caste-based census as part of their five key guarantees.
In their election manifesto released earlier this week, the MVA also pledged to remove the 50% cap on reservations in the state, a move that has sparked significant debate across the country.
The concept of a caste-based census has been met with strong criticism from some quarters, particularly from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had previously condemned the Congress’s proposal for a nationwide caste survey, calling it a "dhoka" (deception) to the people of India.
Singh referred to the 2011 socio-economic caste census, pointing out that it had been so expansive, with 46 lakh castes, tribes, and lineages recorded, that the report was never even made public. He suggested that this failure was indicative of the impracticality and ineffectiveness of caste-based surveys.
Karandlaje, along with other BJP leaders, has maintained that dividing the country along caste lines could be detrimental to its unity. The BJP's position is clear: the party opposes the idea of caste-based census and believes in promoting national unity without resorting to caste-based politics.
This is in stark contrast to the Congress and other political parties like the MVA, who see the caste-based survey as a necessary tool for addressing the issues faced by marginalised communities.
The debate surrounding caste-based data collection has always been a sensitive issue in India. Supporters of such a census argue that it would help in better targeting welfare programs and ensuring that the benefits of affirmative action reach the most disadvantaged groups. On the other hand, critics fear that it could exacerbate divisions in society and fuel identity politics.
As the political campaigns intensify in Maharashtra, the controversy over the caste census is likely to remain a hot topic. The Congress and MVA’s focus on the issue is seen as an attempt to galvanise support among the lower castes and other marginalised communities.
However, the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is likely to continue advocating for a more inclusive approach to governance that does not rely on caste-based calculations.
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