Should the Census of India 2011 be tasked with the collection of caste data, returning in a sense to the practice of the pre-Independence, colonial era? Let us start by recognising that the question is arguable. Opponents of caste enumeration tend to hark back to the ideals of the freedom struggle and the Constitution, which treat caste as illegitimate and see Census enumeration of caste as a tool of ‘divide and rule.' By not collecting caste data, the Census, a great national undertaking, strikes a blow for social equality. Supporters of caste enumeration tend to argue the opposite, namely that by collecting data on the caste-inequality link, the Census could become a promoter of progressive social change, chiefly by strengthening the case for compensatory discrimination policies across the land. As the sociologist Nandini Sundar points out, India in the past couple of decades has entered “a new era of caste relations” and while there has been heated debate on the political consequences of doing or not doing caste enumeration in the Census, little thought has been given to “how this is to be done, if at all; the nature of data generated; the level and form of tabulations in which data would be useful; who would gain from this knowledge at different levels; or the concrete ways in which caste data might or might not help to design government programmes to offset caste disabilities.”
Whether the collection of caste data, other than for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, will be socially divisive or will help in the quest for equality can be left aside for the purposes of settling the remit of the forthcoming decennial exercise. The short answer is that the Census is a great demographic endeavour that must not be confused with social science field work. As it is meant to collect observational data, and not information based on the perceptions of the respondents or self-categorisation, it cannot be the vehicle for capturing caste-wise population data. Besides, India is home to a humungous number of sub-castes with nomenclature variations across regions: aggregating them across villages will be too complex for the Census to handle. The enumerators, as Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has pointed out, lack the sociological sensitivity to record and classify the population on the basis of castes and sub-castes. But this shortcoming applies also to the trainers and indeed to the whole Census system. If backward class commissions or socio-political movements need up-to-date measurement of caste and better data on the caste-inequality link, there are other ways of gaining this information. The government certainly did the right thing in resisting pressure from some political parties and regional groupings to task Census 2011 with doing something it just cannot handle.
Keywords: Census, population, data, Census of India, caste-based census, Constitution
The caste based census is going to be a tool only for the corrupt politicians (Leaders!)to further divide the soceity for their benifit. What these Govt and Supreme court did, when the rule of reservation and other benifits did not reach the poor and needy, for the past 60 years? We see crores and crores of rupees spent for development of national infrastructure for the past 60 years, we see what finally has been done(only 10 -20 % implemented). The Govt should not only plan any scheme, but throughly monitor the execution of such schemes. If the Govt was serious enough in proper implementation of welfare schemes,for the past 60 years, we could have improved the conditions of SC/ST and other poor/ downtrodden. Thereby eliminating the need for caste based reservations. This has not happened, these politicians will never allow it to happen.Then only they can survive. Further, irrespective of caste, people/ family income beyond certain levels, should be deprived of any reservation.
It is good. Census on caste basis gives the exact statistics of different communities of our society. It will help our government to make policy for the betterment of backward and unprivileged people. It will be very useful for social justification.
The 2011 Indian census is a caste-based one and first time after independence. Caste is the distinct feature of our society
and it has great relevance in India.
in India where still inter-caste, inter-regional as well as across the border marriages are encouraged (In haryana same gotra marriges issue is also caste issue)
and even at present so called liberal and modern men opt for caste based marriages and
our newspapers are filled with caste based matrimonial advertisements. India has a religious belief about casteism.
If we go by Bhagavad Gita (chapter4, Sholka 13) Lord Krishna clarifies the origin and purpose of
caste system to Arjuna and created four varnas named - Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. and they constitute
the four fold order according to differentiation of gunna and karma.
india has become a strong economy in this globalised world and making progress by leaps and bounds but this growth is not equitable as all sections of indian society
are not making their contribution due to their social, educational and economic backwardness. And this backwardness
is prevalent in India.
Backwardness is also divided in terms of castes and classes and government formulates its social welfare programmes
as per the data of caste and classes. But this data has got outdated. As we have old estimates like
Kaka Kalelkar and Mandal Commission had evolved criterion for ascertaining the population of OBCs.
(At the national level the population of OBCs has been accepted as 52 per cent of the total population of the country and reservation to the extent of 27 per cent has been made for them in Central government posts.
This was the outcome of the implementation of Mandal Commission Report in 1990.)
Caste based census seems to be relevent as it will figure out the appropriate number of people belonging to different castes.
This will enable government formulate and implement its programmes effectively with efficieny. And thereby will uplifft
the socially, educationaly and economicaly backward population. From equitable growth perspective it seems relevent.
It has an objection as this census will also give impetus to caste division and its perpetuation.
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While Indian society is embedded with caste,a great debate is on in the country whether this should be included in Census 2010 or not leaving priority matters. Another corollary is when all reservations could be terminated? Whether 'Caste' included or not this is not going to have any superlative effect as seen before. India will truly develop only when SC/ST leaders lead the nation backed up by intellectual and pragmatic advisors,with strong law enforcement & judiciary.
The argument that census data will be misused by the politicians has some ground but one has to remember that all Indians are not politicians.The census data will be of immense help for researcher like me who are still using the data on caste of 1931 census.It will also help to asses the effect of protective discrimination policies.When the census on religion was going on, the same debate appeared but we can see that very little misuse of the data was done. The data on the census must be viewed as a fact and no value must be attached to it.
I believe caste based census is the essential step to social transformation. Numbers dispel myths, increase awareness and ensure appropriation of funds for the deserving segment of population. The people who argue against caste based census may fear social change.
The result of caste sensus will be improvement in popolation.If any caste finds its numbers are decreasing it will strive to produce more lest they will lose their clout
What have we achieved by caste based policies? Did job reservations based on caste elimenated poverty? Did reservations in educational institutions eliminated illiteracy? All that I could see is these policies have created lot of political parties.
The census of 2011 has rightly to be based on other parameters such as family set-up ie whether it's a joint family/broken family, educational background, health and standard of living. This can be of value in country's plannings.
Caste based census is necessary in India. After more then 63 years of independence the population could not forget the caste system. So its accounting must be done with census for future provision. We frequently come across with the news that the following caste is getting privilege and following is not , all these create caste feeling in society and subsequently in the country.
If the census will be based on the caste basis then it will be easy to the government to present the report in public about the percentage of the caste representation of population and the benefits given. This will eliminate the caste feeling among the population.
Sir,
Caste-based census should be included. SC & ST % in the society are counted, why not OBCs. Nowadays some points are raised about economic backwardnesss among upper caste. And economic reservation should be included which is favoured by upper caste .
I do not think this is logical because the trader or businessman may show or may not show their income, since they are not salaried persons. So even if they have lacs & crores of rupees they are counted in EBCS.is this right?So all aspect should be included out of which caste is one of the most important factors.
Sir,
I go with Caste Based census.
1) It will give demograpically tell how much people are there belonging to particular locality. May be it BC/OBC/SC/ST/FC. So the central government/State Government can plan for upcoming for all soceity based on demograpic location.
2) Already there was 60 full years of Reservations. I dont know how much 100 years India is going to be with this Reservations. And I belive it was 10-20% success. Now all people in another 10-15 years in government organizations will be benefitters of Reservation. Their second generations will be in good positions by now. You blindly forget about the people who did not work on government organization. But it has benifitted some.
3) To me, I am worried as one other person who commented that Hindus are the one getting converted while others do not. So we will know how much people have been converted and their demographic locations where conversion is done more.
Sir,
I strongly belief caste factor should be there in census. It is much less sensitive compared religion. If SC & ST % in the society are counted, why not OBCs. About question of dividing the society on the basis of collecting data, I want to put a question "Is the society not divided now"? OBCs are most neglected in the society. In most of the state except Bihar, UP etc, hardly they have any representation in the power.
Hindu religion though is the oldest religion, the population of Hindus is very less compared to other religions created faterwards. Hindus are going on changing their religion though others are not. Now time has come OBCs should get their right otherwise there may be movements like Naxalsism in future in society.
I strongly disagree with the conclusion of author. If there is any system/organization that will have the capacity to conduct such an important data collection, it will be Census Bureau. I agree that current workers may not have the capacity yet but with proper training and some innovative handling, we could get this data. Even
Forgetting sub-caste during our first iteration, we can at least get overall buckets of FC, BC, OBC/MBC & others, we could use this data significantly to benefit out classes. Better information can lead to targeted benefits; mining crucial information including caste Vs poverty proportions will help in various schemes including PDS< NREGA and many more.
So, without seeing it only through prism of castism, we should see it in socio-economic factors and try to help reduce poverty.
there is no problem in collecting data on the basis of caste, but the way data can be used by 'caste based' political parties to further create divide among Indians leaves a dilemma in the minds of those people who believe caste based reservation has never been able to achieve the objective set by it when it was implemented.Thus census should be used to demarcate those groups who have been benefited from reservation and the people who haven't . Thus this data should be used to evolve a strategy to implement reservation and achieve equal socio-economic progress.
yes i do agree that the caste system shold be kicked out of the whole world and let's live like a good human being. we are just puppets of the great political persons or diplomats. who themself don't want all people to come under one roof of humanity and fight with the poverty and other crticial problem that humanity is facing. Thus from the child's birth certificate when the coloumn of caste, Religion, should be removed and we will automatically run in the tune of success to get our self better. but the seed that had been bowed in a child's mind from childhood will take time as per his attitude and logical thinking, with a pschology.
I agree with P. Chidambaram remarks about census. But one must try to address those shortcomings of the (census) system, rather than abandoning it.
This statistics can suitably be developed by the state govt. with advice from central govt. as per there cast and sub-cast structure,
In order to gauge our current reservation system success, this data is of immense importance. Otherwise, the current method will result in progress of specific group, leaving other group deprived of chance to progress.
One fails to understand as to why The Hindu stopped short of highlighting the "other better ways" of collecting caste information, if such ways indeed exist. Whether anyone likes it or not, casteism exist only at the behest and patronage of its perpetrators. The lower castes, thus, and factually also, are the victims of this illogical system or practice. Casteism is nothing but the fumes coming out of the minds of the nut-heads because of lust for oneself, and hatred, malice and ill will at the well being of others in the society [courtesy to: KUMARAN AASAN in his poem CHANDALA BIKSHUKI (Mal)]. If the Govt and the opponents do have no concern at the prevalence of this decadent system even today, then why are they alarmed at the enumeration of the victims of it? We can solve the problem of casteism only by killing it. For this we need the support of the perpetrators of the system than the victims. Let us kill caste before it Kills us, not by denying but by collecting authentic data of the victims and addressing their grievances.
As 'anonymous' said, from a social science point of view, it will help in having a better picture about caste and resources but however, this will more or less act as a tool for some politicians to garner votes by bailing out more quotas based on the various results of the census. This can have far reaching consequences on the direction of policies that will be implemented in the future.
It would have provided us with a better insight had you provided us with the other ways in which the information regarding the population can be collected.
screw reservation, shut the caste down, all are equal open up india for equal opportunities, with reservation we'll never develop
caste based census may be helpful for some communities those not having proper participation in politics n govt jobs because of ununited and diffrent names of cast in states like kahar,keer,mehra,kevat,mallah,manjhi,nishad,kashyap,jhinwar,bhoi,dhinwar,turaha,raikanwar etc.these are one cast but not having a single name identity on national level.cast based census brougt exect status of this type of casts
religion and caste has done no good for this country, it has only divided the people, this data/stats i belive only helps politicians.
Sir,
This is the most illogical editorial you have published in recent times.
In "observational data" you put the data of Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. But on what reason do you think adding OBC's in this would make it less 'observational'? What criterion makes the data of SCs and STs observational and the data of OBCs "information based on the perceptions of the respondents"?
If the enumerators have a list of OBCs in their area of enumeration, they can easily add and even verify the OBC data without any trouble. Then, what is the reason for considering it "too complex for the Census to handle." Even if it is complex, you forgot that in pre independece period that complexity was tackled without any technological help. What is the logic of saying an endeavour that was accomplished many decades ago can not be done now?
If the enumerators lack the sociological sensitivity as you have mentioned why don't train them before the commencement of the "great demographic endeavour"? Is the lack sociological sensitivity of the enumerators a say-able reason against Census enumeration of caste?
You say 'there are other ways of gaining this information.". What are they?
It seems you are just projecting, without providing any reason, that Census cannot handle enumeration of caste.
We need a one time caste based census. After enjoying the reservstions for over 5 decades in education and employment, still some section of people are not satisfied and still claiming they didn't get their pie.
Caste has been institutionalized by caste-based reservations in education and jobs. There is a mad rush to be recognized as a backward caste. So it is necessary to get accurate statistics on caste. People can always opt out of declaring their caste if they don't intend to take advantage of caste based reservations.
It is a shame on us as a society that we still pay so much attention to the caste system. It is high time we switched to economic criteria in formulating government policies and programmes rather than deciding our course of action on the basis of caste, religion, region etc.,
Sir,
I disagree with your opinion.
In a single streach, data on caste can be collected and this would be possible for any NGOs or other organizations as suggested by you. Reservation can be eliminated only after comparing caste with that of the income.
I support the gist of your opinion that "CASTE" itself is an irrelevant 'thing' and it should be paced out. I think this is how we can reduce reservation percentage and eliminate it.
As an economist, I can tell you that having caste and religion information (numbers and distribution across the land,occupations,etc) would have been very useful for the progress of research in the social sciences. Of course, ultimately such study , at least in theory, leads to better policy making and an understanding of caste and resources. Therefore, let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Sure, it may be politically contentious or even methodologically/technically infeasible to do this enumeration as part of the Census, as your editorial suggests, but it is important, from a social science perspective at least, to get this done. Your editorial suggests that there are other ways: what are these and what is being done on those fronts?
Indian politics is not mature enough to deal with the data in a constructive way. The Moment actual caste data is obtained it will be used to jockey for more reservations/Dole outs /give aways. All castes will want to increase their share & many will end up quitting on family planning due to demagoguery.
We have in our country developed a kind of political culture where caste and religion cast their shadows on anything we do. As Nandini Sundar points out,we have entered into a "new era of caste relations", in recent times. Unfortunately, this development is more confrontational than consensual. Collection of statistics has to be an objective exercise. Historically this may be the largest exercise and deserves careful attention.
Caste has acquired such political significance that the government prefers to keep it out of Census - reflecting its low levels of confidence in the enumerators and process of data collection. The goverment appears to firmly believe that Census cannot deliver undisputed caste statistics at current levels of technology, commitment, and human resources at its disposal. It is indeed a shame that we cannot carry out such an exercise in a transparent and effective way so as to capture valuable socio-economic information of our billions and put to use such databases in driving our developmental priorities and policies.
The reson to count by caste is because they will collect more votes from lower caste people and thats why "Congress" is winning always.
Lalu wants a separate counts on the base of caste he just have to ask conngress leaders for a "List" of voters.I think parlimentary is wasteing tax payers money and if you all parties want to fight and arguee then do it for the people who doesn't have drinking water,electricity,fertilizers,schools,and hospitals. And by the way no elected politicians deserve any raise they are all courrupted so why they need more money.they all look like a "Bull" because they dont do any kind of job.I haven't seen any elected politicians behind bar for the rest of his life on corruptions charges.Thanks to "Indian Democracy".
Sir, I am totally against the categorization of society on caste lines. But when it comes to collection of caste data, I believe census 2011 could do a better job.
As suggested by you in the article, if there are other better ways to collect the same information, then those methods should be highlighted. That would at least satisfy people with genuine interest.
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