National Colloquium on Caste Census

With great reluctance the UPA Government promised a nationwide caste census in June 2011. When the unwilling HM declared that the stand alone caste census will be taken up separately the nation did not suspect any foul play.

The Union Cabinet decided to do the exact opposite of a comprehensive door-to-door caste enumeration in census. UOI has now decided to conduct an economic survey of getting caste details of only the BPL families; no social or educational data will be collected in respect of any caste/tribe/community; the entire population will not be covered. GOI itself is not going to do the survey. Instead the States will be asked to collect the data. Enumeration will be a paperless exercise done through the NREGA labourers. Simputers will be used, instead of a comprehensive schedule, as was done during the decennial census. This is a completely useless exercise which will defeat the very object with which the caste enumeration in census was demanded.

It is therefore very urgent that all those who have been pressing for a comprehensive door to door caste census, in particular the political forces, organisations which believe in social justice, and social activists, should present a joint resolution making appropriate demands in this behalf.

The following demands may be deliberated upon at the Colloquium:

• The entire exercise should be carried out by the Central Government itself under the Census Act of 1948 , after issuing a notification in the Official Gazette under section 3 thereof .
• The entire population should be covered so as to get the exact population of each caste/tribe/community.
• The data collected should reflect the social, educational and economic status of each caste/tribe/community so as to enable the revision and classification of the OBCs List.
• Such data should also give the exact representation of each caste/tribe/community in the services under the State.
• Collection of data should not be delegated or thrust upon the States (census is a central subject).
• Data should be collected in printed forms through comprehensive schedules and not through simputers.
• The enumeration should be done by the very same enumerators who did the enumeration in Census 2011 (they are already trained and experienced with extensive field knowledge).

• The data so collected should be preserved, tabulated and published by the Central Government.

With this aim, a meeting of all political forces supporting caste-wise census, and some social activists is being called on 9th June, 2011 at 6 p.m., at the India International Centre (Conference Hall II-Main Building), Max Mueller Marga, New Delhi to discuss and adopt a proper resolution to be sent to the Government of India at the earliest.

Mastram Kapoor

(http://www.facebook.com/notes/dilip-mandal/national-colloquium-on-caste-census/197206226992597)