At long last, the caste census will be part of the official national Census, with the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs giving it the green light. This is a historic decision—politically astute, constitutionally sound, and socially consequential. But predictably, the Opposition is already squabbling to claim credit for a move that exposes its past duplicity. Congress and its echo chamber are chest-thumping that Rahul Gandhi “forced” the Modi government’s hand. But let’s not be fooled. The Congress didn’t lift a finger when it was in power for decades. Jawaharlal Nehru dismissed the very idea of caste-based enumeration as regressive. Indira Gandhi ignored it. Rajiv Gandhi ridiculed it. Now, Rahul Gandhi, tutored by political copywriters, parrots lines on “jitni abadi, utna haq” without a shred of awareness of his own party’s legacy of denial. It was the Modi government that chose to act, not with tokenism, but through the constitutional process. Let the Opposition squabble among themselves over credit. The RJD, Congress’s ally in Bihar, has jumped into the fray too, insisting the idea was theirs. Ironically, when the RJD-Congress government in Bihar had the chance, they failed to implement their caste census effectively. The data was collected, but never officially acted upon. Likewise, in Karnataka, the Congress-led government under Siddaramaiah launched a caste survey that sparked more controversy than clarity. Dominant communities like Lingayats, Vokkaligas, and Brahmins rejected the figures outright, alleging distortion. The political blowback forced Congress to quietly shelve the report. Telangana under Congress rule didn’t fare any better. A hurried, haphazard “caste survey” was conducted with no scientific rigour. Videos emerged of residents chasing away data collectors, raising serious questions about participation, reliability, and intent. In every instance, the Opposition’s efforts have lacked credibility, competence, and transparency. And yet, they now expect to be applauded?
The Modi government’s decision to incorporate caste enumeration into the official Census process is both timely and necessary. As Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw rightly pointed out, this is a Union subject under Article 246 of the Constitution, and only the Centre has the authority to do it properly. The last full caste-based census happened in 1931. For nearly a century, social justice policies have been made with outdated data, driven more by electoral arithmetic than empirical evidence. Vishnaw’s scathing critique of state-level surveys conducted “purely from a political lens” is not off the mark. Many such exercises were aimed less at empowering backward communities and more at carving vote banks, particularly among Muslim minorities. The Opposition’s enthusiasm for caste surveys has always been selective and self-serving—heavy on optics, light on outcomes. This official move by the Centre, therefore, changes the game. It strips the Opposition of its false moral monopoly on backward caste empowerment. It undermines the INDIA bloc’s narrative of being the sole champions of social justice. Most importantly, it provides a legitimate, scientific basis for future policies—including the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill, which reserves one-third of parliamentary seats for women but awaits delimitation based on the next Census. And let’s not forget the timing. With Bihar headed for elections early next year, followed by key contests in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere, this is also a political masterstroke. By delivering what others only promised, Modi has seized control of the narrative. He’s turned a potential vulnerability—Opposition accusations of ignoring caste realities—into a demonstration of decisive leadership. The caste census will offer a clearer picture of Indian society. It will enable more targeted welfare delivery and rational quotas. But it will also separate real social justice from opportunistic politics. The fact that the Centre—not a state government, not a populist front—will oversee this crucial exercise ensures its legitimacy. In truth, the Congress and its allies are not upset that the caste census is happening. They’re upset that Modi is the one doing it—and doing it right. Their bluff has been called. Their posturing was exposed. Now, let them hold all the press conferences they want. Let Rahul Gandhi read from more pre-written scripts. History will remember who delivered action and who just tweeted about it.
