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Nitish Kumar reiterates demand for caste-census, hints Centre needs to take a call
In February this year also, Kumar had batted for a caste-based census, but now his statements have assumed greater significance, as the Opposition is trying to make it a rallying point to corner the BJP ahead of the crucial UP elections.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday once again reiterated his demand for caste-based census, saying it would be in the best interest of the country and it was for the Centre to take a call on the matter.
“I have always been advocating it for a long time. My letter has also reached the Prime Minister on August 4 in this regard. We want a caste-based census. In Bihar, both the Houses had passed a resolution for it in 2020 also; the Legislative Assembly passed a resolution again. This will benefit all. There should be caste-based census at least once to get a hang of the real status of various castes, which will help in making development plans,” he said, after his weekly ‘Janata ki durbar mein mukhyamantri’ programme to listen to people’s problems directly and address them.
The CM said figures for all the castes would help everyone. “We have been demanding it since 1990. It is not a political issue. It is a social issue. But it is for the Centre to decide. If the PM gives time, we will also meet him. Other states are also discussing it. Our MPs also wanted to meet PM, but they were asked to meet the home minister and they met him and presented their views,” he added.
Kumar said that the caste-based census was an issue which only the Centre could decide. “If we have to do it, it will be counting, not census to get information. Census is done only at the national level. Some states have done it at their level. Karnataka did it. If we have to decide on caste census in Bihar, we will decide it later on after discussing the matter. But we want it to be done at the national level so that it happens across the country,” he added.
The CM said it was last done in 1931 and all the people were for it, as it would help in inclusive development. “Some sections are educationally backward; there are other kinds of backwardness. It will be in the interest of the country,” he added.
As per projections from figures of 1931 Census for specific Hindu castes and the 1961 Census for all others, backward castes consisted of 51.3% of the population in the state. However, many political parties feel that the numbers might have changed, and a fresh caste-based census is the need of the hour.
In February this year also, Kumar had batted for a caste-based census, but now his statements have assumed greater significance, as the Opposition is trying to make it a rallying point to corner the BJP ahead of the crucial UP elections.
In 2017, the Centre had set up the Justice Rohini Commission, which favoured sub-categorisation of reservation for other backward castes (OBCs) in the government sector by splitting 27% quota into different categories of OBC for equitable distribution of benefits among different sub-castes. After several extensions, it could submit its report, dividing 2633 OBC sub-castes in the central list into four sub-categories with 2%, 6%, 9% and 10% quota to add up to 27%.
Before that, in 2011, socio-economic and caste census was done in 2011, though caste data could never be made public due to several discrepancies. Till date, Census only makes the count of population based on religion and SC/ST population.
