The demand for a caste-based census in India is far from a new issue. It is a recurring tactic, often deployed not out of genuine concern for social justice but as a political maneuver. In reality, the demand for such a census is more about political survival than about practical governance. It frequently ignites debates on social justice, representation, and equity, but let’s be clear—the demand has less to do with uplifting marginalized communities and more to do with staying relevant in a rapidly changing political landscape. The Congress Party, which has ruled India for over six decades, has rarely bothered about such demands. Instead, it focused on appeasement policies targeted at specific minority communities to retain power. The recent push for a caste census by opposition parties is a desperate attempt to find a foothold in Indian politics, especially after their disastrous showing in the 2024 general elections. The opposition, even after forming an alliance of 28 parties, could not pose a serious challenge to the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Modi, an OBC himself, has managed to consolidate a significant vote bank that cuts across caste lines, making it clear that the opposition’s game plan has failed. Having tried everything to unseat Modi, the opposition is now raking up the caste census issue—not as a matter of principle, but purely to remain politically relevant. The Congress Party, in particular, has never aligned itself with social justice movements. Unlike parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), which have roots in such movements, Congress’s interest in the caste census is new and opportunistic. It is an unrealistic demand, aimed not at solving socio-economic disparities but at using caste as a political tool. However, the issue becomes even more hypocritical when considering Congress’s historical stance on the Mandal Commission report. Hence, the effort is to explore whether the demand for a caste census is justified or just another gimmick in the quest for power.
A caste census involves collecting data on the caste composition of the population—a practice that hasn’t been done comprehensively since 1931. After independence, while the government continued to collect data on Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), it conveniently left out the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and other castes. Now, opposition parties argue that without this data, policies aimed at social justice and affirmative action cannot be effectively designed. However, the real question is: do they genuinely care about social justice, or is this just a new stick to beat the government with? Supporters of a caste census argue that data is essential for evidence-based policymaking. They claim that caste-based data is crucial for understanding the socio-economic status of different communities, especially the OBCs, who form a significant part of the population but remain underrepresented in many sectors. Without accurate data, they argue, affirmative action policies are blind and ineffective. But why has this demand gained prominence now, after decades of silence from the Congress and other major players? Is it because the need for data has suddenly become urgent, or is it because they see an opportunity to disrupt the current power dynamics? Let’s not be fooled. The demand for a caste census is more about political arithmetic than social algebra. The lack of data is indeed a problem, but it is equally true that politicians have used caste data selectively to engineer vote banks. Instead of focusing on holistic development and governance, they resort to divisive tactics. A caste census, in such a climate, could serve as yet another tool for creating social fragmentation, with parties cherry-picking data that suits their narrative.
While the opposition’s motives may be questionable, the benefits of a caste census cannot be entirely dismissed: a) Yes, a detailed caste census could provide data to create more targeted welfare schemes and affirmative action policies. It could reveal which castes are underrepresented and help design programs that address these gaps. But let’s face it—how many such well-intentioned policies have been derailed by political interests?, b) A caste census could indeed help identify the most marginalized sub-castes within larger categories like SCs and OBCs. However, the real challenge is whether politicians will use this data to help these groups or just as another tool to consolidate power, c) The argument that a caste census could ensure fairer political representation is compelling. But given India’s political landscape, is there any guarantee that this data won’t be manipulated for narrow electoral gains? and d) While data can indeed help rectify historical injustices, it is naïve to assume that the very parties demanding a caste census today will commit to this cause genuinely. History shows us they have rarely done so.
The Congress Party’s newfound interest in a caste census is hard to digest, given its historical reluctance to implement the Mandal Commission report in the 1980s and 1990s. The Mandal Commission, set up in 1979, recommended a 27% reservation for OBCs in central government jobs and educational institutions. Despite the report being submitted in 1980, Congress governments under Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi chose not to implement its recommendations. Why? i) Implementing the Mandal Commission’s recommendations would have led to significant social unrest among upper castes, and the Congress did not want to alienate this influential voter base, ii) Congress’s electoral strategy relied heavily on maintaining a balance among upper castes, minorities, and sections of SCs and STs. Accepting the Mandal recommendations would have risked upsetting this coalition, and iii) The Congress Party has always been criticized for lacking the political will to tackle sensitive issues head-on, often preferring to maintain the status quo. The demand for a caste census in India today is less about genuine social justice and more about political survival. The Congress Party’s historical record and current actions suggest that this demand is yet another attempt to manipulate caste dynamics for electoral gains. While a caste census could indeed provide valuable data for addressing inequalities, we must be wary of the ulterior motives driving this demand. The debate is not just about numbers; it is about the future direction of India’s socio-political landscape. If the intention behind the demand is not pure, the outcome will likely be just another chapter in India’s long history of political opportunism.
