Our Census, Our Future
By Ashok Yadav
16 October, 2010
Countercurrents.org
After lots of struggle within and without parliament the union cabinet on 09 September, 2010 decided that Census, 2011 would be casteless, that Census would take place as per the schedule in February-March, that a separate caste-only headcount would take place in June-September, that data collected during separate caste enumeration would be handed over to a group of experts to analyze the same and derive conclusions.
While we welcome the willingness of the union government to reconsider its age old policy of holding casteless census, at the same time, we also protest the government’s decision to delink the Census, 2011 from caste details. In independent India it is nothing but casteless censuses, while, in subjugated India censuses were never delinked from caste details.
To conduct caste delinked census is a violation of Article 340 of Constitution of our country. Article 340 directs the government to investigate the difficulties under which socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs) labor so that methods to remove such difficulties and to improve their conditions may evolve and grants should be made. Mandal Commission was mandated under this very article. However, the Mandal commission report has suffered from the absence of data relating to socio-economic-educational status of the SEBCs due to no caste linked census having taken place after 1931. Sachar Committee, formed by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to investigate into socio-economic-educational backwardness of Indian Muslims, has also complained about non-availability of socio-economic-educational details regarding Indian Muslims due to the same reason as already reported by Mandal Commission. Sachar Committee has recommended for formation of ‘National Data Bank’ which is impossible without caste linked census. The Hon’ble Supreme Court has many a times asked the government to provide different kinds of data about the OBCs but the central government has failed to provide the desired report due to caste delinked censuses.
The government is going to incur two thousand crore of rupees on separate caste headcount. In a jointly signed memorandum to the government eminent sociologists have urged the government to include caste column in the census forms in order to save two thousand crore of rupees from going into the drain. They have also drawn government’s attention to the practical difficulties in conducting separate caste headcount. After census enumeration is over in March it will be hugely difficult to send again those lacs of census enumerators for caste headcount that too within two months of the completion of census operation. As most of the census enumerators are primary and secondary school teachers school education too will suffer.
It has also been underlined that there is electoral political vested interest in conducting separate caste only headcount as this will help in knowing exact number of voters of different castes in a given constituency. This will facilitate in choosing candidate of correct caste. Separate caste-only headcount will further pollute our already casteist environment and polity as against caste linked census which will make the socio-economic-educational backwardness of backward classes and their solution the central issue.
However, it appears that the government is not even interested in doing so. The data collected in caste-only separate headcount exercise will be handed over to a group of experts who will analyse those data and deduce results. There is already a list of castes on both central and state levels. No doubt castes are many but not infinite. Basing upon the two lists of castes the census authorities can easily figure out the number of different caste people. The way the committee or commission functions in this country it is very natural to apprehend that the decision to hand over the data to a group of experts is nothing but a delaying tactics. The English conducted caste linked census when there was no computer. In this age of software the caste linked census can be easily done.
Census is conducted under the Census Act, 1948. What will be the legal standing of the separate caste- only headcount? The government says that it will prepare legal back up of the separate caste-only headcount. How will government prepare legal back up of something which is logically and fundamentally flawed? Why does government want to create a new legislation when there is already Census Act, 1948?
The million dollar question is-Why is government not in favor of caste linked census?
Census does not count heads only; it also collects data on socio-economic-educational-living standards-health-average age etc. From census report we are able to know district wise, state wise and on the country basis the number of people who are educated and who are uneducated, among the educated how many are matriculate, graduate, post graduate and highly educated. We come to know the ratio of urban and rural people. We come to know the number of people living below and above poverty line, the size of lower, middle and upper middle class people, engaged in agriculture, government jobs, self-employment, trade and commerce-big or small, having access to modern health care, the number of landless agricultural workers, small, middle and big farmers, living in pucca and kacha houses. the average age of different sections of populations, etc.?
The caste linked census will make it clear which caste or caste group [SC/ST/OBC (BC&MBC)/Upper caste] lies where in development graphs. The casteist elements feel that caste linked census will make it clear that caste character of socio-political-economic-administrative system of this country has rendered vast multitude of SC/ST/OBC people illiterate, poor, destitute, harassed, devoid of all basic amenities and facilities of life etc., that the upper caste people are socially-educationally-economically the most contented, that ten to fifteen percent population of the upper caste middle class have major share over the nation’s material and human resource and, conversely, eighty five to ninety percent of people belonging to SC/ST/OBC have only a minor share of the same. The caste chauvinists apprehend that figures of caste linked census will once again make the old slogan of “Sao Me Nabbe Shosit Hai, Nabbe Bhag Hamara Hai” i.e. “We the Exploited Are Ninety, Our Share Is Ninety” reverberate in the air again. It appears very much plausible that under pressure of the caste chauvinists the government decided against caste linked census otherwise how come the Prime Minister announced on the floor of Parliament to conduct the same.
The censuses do not collect data relating to the OBC and the Upper caste but they collect data relating to SCs and STs. But even here caste specific data are not produced. Thus we have no knowledge of, after so many years of the Republic of India having come into existence, how many Dhobis are still washing linens in the rivers and ponds and how many have laundries, how many Pasis are still climbing up the toddy trees to tap toddy, how many Chamars are still stripping off skin of the dead animals, how many Mehtars are still scavenging night soil, how many Musahars are still eating rats and how many Dusadhs are still doing the rounds in night vigil, and so on.
The caste chauvinists are hell bent on not letting caste linked census take place. They apprehend that results of caste linked census will galvanize SC-ST-OBC against the caste system. They desire us to observe centenary year of last complete census (i.e. caste linked census) in the year 2031.
Everybody knew that the earth attracted everything towards itself. But when Newton calculated and discovered the process of gravitational pull, a revolution in natural science came. Similarly, we know we are backwards but have no idea of the extent of our backwardness. When the caste linked census will bring out the extent of our backwardness that will pave the path of social change and revolution. We need correct assessment of our backwardness through caste linked census.
We are miles behind China in developmental indexes. India cannot hope to catch China in growth and development mere on the strength of its ‘great Indian middle class’ that are overwhelmingly upper caste people. If India desires to cruise on the highway of economic development and growth it will first of all have to rescue SC/ST/OBC people from the quagmire of illiteracy and poverty. Otherwise, howsoever, they try to propel India on the path of development and growth, it will meet roadblocks. We fervently appeal to the destiny makers of India to shed hesitations and start off with conducting first ever caste-linked census in independent India. That will be a small step but a great leap forward to redeem the pledge that India took in the midnight of 14th -15th August, 1947.
The government of India adopted the slogan-Our Census, Our Future-for Census, 2011. We too adopt this slogan and proclaim: Our Census, Our Future.
O’ Brothers and Sisters belonging to the underprivileged castes of India, Come and join and contribute mind-body-money, in the struggle for making first ever complete census (i.e. caste linked census) a reality.
Ashok Yadav is writer-activist for OBC and Social Justice cause. He is associated with All India Federation Of OBC Employees Welfare Assoications headquartered in Chennai. He can be contacted on a[email protected]
