The report that the Centre has cleared caste in Census 2011 (Sept. 10) is heartening. In India, class and caste are almost congruent. People belonging to castes that are socially and educationally backward are, invariably, economically backward. Accurate caste data will contribute to a greater democratisation of Indian society and polity.
T. Marx,
Puducherry
Caste enumeration alone will reflect the true state of India's social and economic health, as we are still dependent on the inputs of the 1931 census.
K.V. Raghuram,
Wayanad
Gone are the days when politics was based on reformation and renaissance. In the name of harsh reality, politicians are keen on dividing society into slices — of caste, religion and region.
Victor Frank A.,
Chennai
That caste is a reality and hence needs to be recorded is a hollow claim.
The government's decision on including caste in the census will affect the castes which do not have sufficient numbers the most.
P.K. Misra,
Mysore
Coalition politics, with vote-bank as the driving force, has perhaps influenced the government's decision that does not have the best interests of the nation at heart.
At a time when global human bonding is taking place, to ask a person to which caste he belongs is a regressive move.
Lt. Col. Ganesh Surath (retd.),
Secunderabad
It is gratifying to know that we have the option of saying “no caste.” I do hope that many educated and enlightened citizens will opt for it to frustrate our politicians' attempts to take the country back a few centuries.
A. Ramachandran,
Kochi
