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RLD chief Jayant Singh demands ‘caste-based census’, social justice commission
Demands for caste census in the country were raised at social justice conclave organised by the Jayant Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) on Sunday
NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) national president Jayant Singh on Sunday asked the government to carry out a “caste-based census” in the country and establish a “social justice commission” to ensure equal opportunities for all underprivileged communities in getting both education and employment, including in the private sector.
Singh was addressing the ‘social justice conference’ organised by the party to mark the 35th death anniversary of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh in Delhi. Singh said that there will be no equality in the country till the case census is done.
“There are many studies that have proven that people from the rural and the backward areas have no representation in the private sector,” he said.
Singh said that the last caste-based census in India was conducted in 1931 and all government policies were made according to the numbers calculated at that time. ‘It is therefore imperative for us today to immediately start a caste-based census to inform data-based decision-making, as it is in almost all areas of our lives — be it medicine, science or business; Why is this not public policy?” he said.
“Social justice is my legacy. It is my moral responsibility to eliminate economic social inequality by conducting caste census and I will not back down,” he added.
Singh also demanded the establishment of the social justice commission to ensure equal opportunities for people from marginalised communities. “A regional commission should be set up to ensure people from all regions get benefits out of the economic development of the country. This commission will meet the demands of special category status of various states, which have historically been overlooked or left behind,” he said.
Apart from Singh, several other leaders from opposition parties, including Sharad Yadav, KC Tyagi of Janta Dal (United), Manoj Jha of Rashtriya Janata Dal, Sanjay Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party, Subhashani Ali of CPI (M), and Yogendra Yadav from Swaraj Abhiyan, were present at the conference. They discussed the legacies of Chaudhary Charan Singh and called for a united approach to fight social injustice.
“The day the caste census takes place in this country, the figures about the dominance of a few castes in this country will be revealed to everyone,” said Yogendra Yadav.
