The caste census is likely to put the BJP in a fix in the near future, just like the Ram Janmabhoomi issue did for the Congress in the early 1990s, said noted historian and Delhi University Inukonda Thirumali. (Image: DC)
Hyderabad: The caste census is likely to put the BJP in a fix in the near future, just like the Ram Janmabhoomi issue did for the Congress in the early 1990s, said noted historian and Delhi University Inukonda Thirumali.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Prof. Thirumali said the BJP was opposing the caste census as it would reveal that the upper castes communities still have a disproportionately greater share of power, position and property. The BJP fears that taking any action on the caste census could cost it the support of the upper castes who form its major support base.
On the other hand, not holding the caste census may dent its hold on OBC voters: The BJP enjoys 44 per cent of the OBC vote nationally as against 15 per cent for the Congress.
Prof. Thirumali said the caste survey tabled by the Bihar Assembly four months ago revealed that the upper castes still controlled power, position and property and the condition of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), who make 63 per cent of the population in the state, had deteriorated in the last 70 years.
"The Bihar caste survey should serve as a wake-up call for policy makers because it mimics India's growth story, which needs an urgent course correction. It reflects a highly skewed nature of India's growth story in the post-reform and post-liberalised era — when high growth produced even higher inequality both inter- and intra-state," he explained.
He said the BJP feared that the outcome of the caste census might hand over a new issue to regional parties to mount pressure on the Centre to increase the OBC quota in Central government jobs.
"The BJP doesn't want to invite any radical changes. The caste survey will weaken its position as it would open a plethora of issues in the wake of survey findings, and disclose the worsening condition of different castes, especially the OBC castes. As the party is not finding any major threat from Rahul Gandhi, it is hesitant to conduct the caste survey," Prof. Thirumali said.
Prof. Thirumali, who has authored books including 'Telangana-Andhra: Castes, Regions and Politics in Andhra Pradesh', also pointed out it was obligatory for Parliament to conduct the caste census as the law-makers had initially intended to offer reservation for a limited period of 10 years. "Parliament cannot go ahead with the same reservation structure for 70 years. It must conduct a study through the nation-wide caste census to find out the political, socio and economic conditions of different communities."
Prof. Thirumali, who prepared the `People's Manifesto for Samajika Telangana - 2023', said the last full-fledged nationwide caste census was conducted by the British in 1931 and it is on the basis of this 93-year-old data that reservations in government schemes are being extended.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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