NEW DELHI: Calling for more clarity on caste based census, the Congress on Tuesday urged the government to clarify the reasoning behind the low budget allocation, stop the delay tactics, and conduct the census with the same integrity demonstrated by Telangana.
Addressing the media in the capital, senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot hit out at the union government for no official mention about the caste census on Monday’s official notification announcing the delayed census. The caste census would meet the same fate as that of the Women Reservation Bill, which the government postponed even after it was passed in the Parliament, he said.
“Is the 2027 census being timed to engineer a new delimitation that benefits BJP-ruled states?” he asked. The Congress general secretary said that while India missed its scheduled census date of 2021, with the enumeration now having been pushed to 2027, there is no mention of a caste census in the notification.
Citing the Telangana model, he said that the state government issued a notification that explicitly mentioned the word ‘caste’. “The state government made it clear that it would carry out a household survey to assess social, educational, economic, employment, political, and caste-related parameters,” he added.
“Given the BJP government’s track record of backtracking and distraction tactics, we won’t be surprised if it quietly shelves the caste census once again,” Pilot said.
He also highlighted the meager amount allocated for the census. “While census would cost about Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 crore, the government had allocated a meagre Rs 570 crore for the purpose, which clearly shows its intentions,” he said.
Pilot also highlighted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s persistent call for a comprehensive caste census. According to Pilot, Rahul Gandhi has referred to the census as an “X-ray of the nation,” emphasizing its importance for obtaining precise data on the population of every caste, their geographical spread, and their social, economic, and educational conditions.
Meager amount
Pilot said that a meager amount was allocated for the census. “Government had allocated a meagre Rs 570 crore, which clearly shows its intentions.”