A Caste-Based Census Could Transform India's Political Landscape

Newsreel Asia Insight #333
November 6, 2024

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition, has reaffirmed his commitment to implementing a national caste census, this time focusing on making Telangana a model state for such an initiative.

Speaking at an event in Telangana, Gandhi described caste-based discrimination in India as “unique” and among the worst globally, as reported by Hindustan Times. He pledged to dismantle what he called an “artificial barrier” limiting reservations to 50%, stating that a comprehensive caste census would be the first step in accurately assessing the scale of caste-based discrimination.

Gandhi also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, questioning why Modi seemed reluctant to gather data on the number of Dalits, Adivasis and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in influential sectors like corporations, the judiciary and the media. He argued that such data is critical for developing effective affirmative action policies.

Gandhi’s push for a national caste census has been a recurring theme in his recent speeches. In August, he took to the social media platform X to insist that efforts to stop a caste census would ultimately fail.

Demands for a nationwide caste census were triggered by the findings from Bihar’s caste census last year, which revealed that over two-thirds of the state’s population belonged to marginalised communities, yet only 50% of government jobs and educational opportunities were reserved for them.

The Congress party has proposed a constitutional amendment to raise the current 50% cap on reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and OBCs.

Yashwant Zagade, a research scholar at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, earlier told Al Jazeera, “The (Bihar) data reiterates how a small proportion of the dominant castes have occupied and controlled everything.”

Most experts agree that the publication of such detailed data could reshape India’s political landscape, as pointed out in a previous Newsreel Asia Insight.

A caste-based census could reshape the current perception of the “majority,” which has predominantly been viewed through the lens of religion, amalgamating both marginalised and privileged groups for political mobilisation. By refocusing on caste, this could diminish the Hindu nationalist ideology that promotes a unified Hindu identity, ignoring the actual disparities within. Although recognising caste differences might stir conflicts and divisive narratives among various caste groups, there remains a possibility for policymakers to develop unbiased and effective strategies to address these inequalities without creating further division.

Further, it could greatly enhance the understanding of economic disparities by linking existing data with social categories, revealing the depth and breadth of both privilege and marginalisation.

Furthermore, a national caste census could unveil critical insights into governance and infrastructure gaps by identifying which communities are disproportionately affected by various issues. For example, it would clarify which groups are most impacted by water scarcity, access difficulties to remote villages, or inadequate healthcare services. This targeted data would help in pinpointing the specific needs of affected communities, thereby enabling more precise and effective governance solutions to address the challenges faced by the majority of the population.

In his recent speeches, Gandhi has made it clear that a national caste census is a non-negotiable aspect of Congress’s agenda, promising that if his party comes to power, they will carry out the census as a priority.