Will caste census data be confined to dusty archives?: Tejashwi Yadav claims credit, takes a dig at Modi for opposing exercise

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Democratic Alliance for opposing the caste enumeration exercise earlier and urged the data must be used for genuine social reforms. Yadav added Centre has only acknowledged the opposition’s position by making the landmark announcement.

 

In his letter to Prime Minister Modi, the former Bihar deputy chief minister said he is writing with a sense of cautious optimism. “For years, your government and the NDA alliance have dismissed calls for a caste census as divisive and unnecessary. When Bihar took the initiative to conduct its own caste survey, central authorities including the top law officer of the government and your party created obstacles at every step,” Yadav said.

 

“Your belated decision represents an acknowledgement of the groundswell of demands from the citizens who have long been relegated to the margins of our society,” Yadav added. The key INDIA bloc leader said the caste census survey conducted by the Bihar government revealed OBCs and EBCs constitute approximately 63 per cent of the state’s population, shattering “many myths peddled to maintain the status quo.”

 

Yadav said the census data must lead to a “comprehensive” review of reservation policies. He also upcoming delimitation exercise to determine Lok Sabha seats must be sensitive to the caste census data. “Special provisions must be made for adequate political representation of OBCs and EBCs who have systematically been excluded from decision-making forums,” he said.

 

Yadav said sufficient changes must be brought in private sector as well, who benefit from various incentives from the government. “It is entirely reasonable to expect them to reflect the composition of our country. The context created by the caste census must be used to have open conversations about inclusivity and diversity in the private sector across organisational hierarchies,” he said.

 

Saying the decision to conduct a caste census is a historic move, Yadav asked, “Will the data be used as a catalyst for systemic reforms, or will it be confined to dusty archives like the many previous commission reports?” The opposition leader from Bihar pledged “constructive cooperation” in utilizing the census data for “genuine” social transformation.

 

India