SUGGI RAJ writes from Bangalore: Should a society that is already deeply divided by region, religion, language, and heaven knows what else be further divided on the basis of caste? And should the “State” that should cement ties between people be seen to be holding the scimitar?
If all goes as planned by the coalition government of the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka, one of the 60,000 school teachers in the State will knock on your door during the Dasara holidays this year—and ask you point-blank the caste you belong to.
It’s called the Caste Census. And in the 60th year of independence from the colonisers, a colonial era practice is being sought to be revived in the State, 70 years after it was firmly and formally abandoned by the British, in the name of “internal reservation”.
On the outside, the objective of the Caste Census may appear reasonable: specificially, to identify the truly deserving who despite decades of reservation have been unable to enjoy its fruits and, generally, to help the government in planning.
Deep down, though, the prospects are much less attractive and downright dangerous.
Because the information that the Caste Census will generate will not just be available for the government of the day for so-called “planning purposes” but it will also come in handy for the roadside pudhari and his factotums for unplanned purposes over years and decades to come.
In other words, in the 21st century, the “Silicon Halli” of the country is about to open a facility for the power-hungry; a kind of neighbourhood ATM for men in and out of power to check their vote-bank balance.
The government is contemplating to get the data of each and every caste, sub-caste, sect and sub-sect to take a decision on internal reservation. Taking a decision based on a scientific study is welcome, of course, but in this case the government is playing around with a double-edged sword.
Moreover, the Caste Census subverts the very spirit of the preamble, as well as fundamental rights and directive principles of the Constitution. Every government is under moral obligation to respect and protect the right of privacy of every individual unless the “national interest” is involved in it.
It’s possible to find small traces of the national interest with some effort behind the move. But at what cost?
Even in the absence of State-certified figures, most times power politics is fought on caste lines. If such a survey is conducted, the outcome will only fan the simmering embers. There is every reason to fear that permanent battle lines would be drawn and that the census could push an already-caste ridden society to the brink of caste conflictThe caste based census was the brainchild of British. It was given up in 1938 considering its ill-effects. In post-independence era, the then home minister Vallabhbhai Patel and his successors strongly opposed the idea of conducting caste based census on the ground that it would further divide the society and come in the way of national integration.
One can only hope and pray that a day won’t come when we will not be compelled to spell out our sects along with their gotras and bedagus to get a driver’s license.
23 July 2007 at 3:21 pm
Moreover, the Caste Census subverts the very spirit of the preamble, as well as fundamental rights and directive principles of the Constitution.
please explain in detail.
23 July 2007 at 4:09 pm
The British abandoned a caste census because of very good reasons. They had no clue how to identify and classify castes. Considering the state privileges attached to membership of a caste, how can the state prevent large scale fraud in the way people describe themselves? Besides, when we have seen a huge explosion in inter-caste and inter-community marriage, how does one ascribe caste to the children of such marriages?
And what about “Dalit Christians”,”Muslim Christians”? Will all non-Hindus also be required to identify themselves as some castes? How does one differentiate one Christian from another on the basis of caste? Are lingayats a caste or a religious community? Will Sikhs be classified on the basis of caste or not?
These are only some of the millions of questions that plague a “caste census” in India.
Nothing prevents the Government from conducting a caste census. Yet, we know that the intentions are hardly harmless, let alone being laudatory. Caste polarization as seen in Rajasthan between Gujjars and Meenas on a large is perhaps not immediately on the horizon, but the Government seems hell bent on taking this route to destruction.
23 July 2007 at 6:27 pm
In the era of social justice, some ground or other is needed to extend the benefits to the really deserving set of people. Social backwardness can only be identified with the caste identification of a person who is to be benefited. After all , the purpose is to uplift the weak and down trodden. There is absolutely no reason to worry about the great divide on caste lines, specially in rural areas.
The fear of fragmentation of society on caste lines is really unfounded. This question of caste has no relevance in the urban area where only the class that a person belongs is a matter of much importance. Can any body ever bother to verify the sect and sub sect of the IT groom?, just returned from abroad who offers to wed ones beloved daughter. Not one in hundred refuse citing caste variation if the girl is ready .
Now let us consider the impact of such census in rural sectors. We are buffs to imagine the rural folk are innocent of caste politics. Right from the days of yore caste identification was always there. Still they lead a peaceful and harmonious life. Even now in most of the villages and small towns the streets are being called after the caste of the majority of dwellers there. Kurubara keri, Nayakara keri, Bestara beedi , Brahmanar oni to name a few.
Unity is the strength is the slogan that all most all have accepted to enhance their bargaining power. The caste rallies have become the part and parcel of pre election campaign. Now all most all caste have their own religious Peetha and the Head who acts as binding force of that particular community. One can find schools , colleges and hostels run by the community to promote the welfare of their members. Valmiki hostel, kanakadasa hostel, Madivala machaiah hostel , Devanga hostel, Uppara hostel and the like have done yeoman service for the educational uplift of their deprived brethren.
Illiteracy , ignorance , blind customs and traditions , lack of leadership have come in the way of their organization and unity. It is to be noted our country is plagued with communal conflicts but caste conflicts are very rare. It is really a blessing in disguise for the community . It can realize its strength and limtation to finalize the strategy for furthering their own interest.
Special reservation has been accorded to Daliths , since the inception of constitution. I am sure this act has not fuelled confrontation of major magnitude even after six decades. Caste census only aims to identify the shares to be given to the underprivileged class in the particular caste what is their legitimate due.
Caste census taken in proper perspective goes a long way in enhancing the capability of deprived class.
Strengthening of a member of the society legitimately with out affecting the rights of others is really a step forward in the process of national integration and building of strong and powerful nation.
23 July 2007 at 6:31 pm
naanu hELakilla andre yen maaDtare?
23 July 2007 at 6:41 pm
Naananthu Shabbas antha heltini! May your tribe increase….
Amen…
23 July 2007 at 6:47 pm
Good question Ravi,
This should be the spirit to defeat the purpose of the wily politicians. It is not compulsory to reveal the caste. But however, our society is so used to such a practice of judging the caste not only by outer appearance, but with some sensitive things like dialect, language, food habits.
23 July 2007 at 8:07 pm
Indian politicians politicalized caste and now instead of caste going down, we have caste consciousness coming back big way, at least in Politics.
As the Hindu report pointed out(The Congress leader Siddaramaiah has been demanding that such a survey should be conducted before taking a decision on providing internal reservation among backward classes), soundrel Congress is playing this caste card whereever its loosing space.
In the name of “secular”, Hindus are being divided along caste. Almost every state is seeing caste politics in some form or other.
23 July 2007 at 8:09 pm
And these shameless politicians are so shameless, at the center Congress is opposing this Caste survey. But at individual states , like in this example in Karnataka, they are demanding it.
JD(S) to deny space to Congress is obviously going for it.
This competitive casteism in Politics is doing greatest harm to Society and the country.
23 July 2007 at 8:12 pm
* scoundrel Congress
23 July 2007 at 9:31 pm
@vsesh
Your point would be valid if we had not seen the dire prospect of a civil war between the Gujjars and Meenas in Rajasthan. The two communities had absolutely no reason to engage in the violence but for the cynical and dangerous promise made by the BJP pre-elections.
Identification is one thing. It is routinely done by the Collector in identifying a person’s caste for the purposes of reservation. A process as simple as this is open to much abuse as evidenced by the numerous cases that have appeared before Courts over the last 50 years.
No one denies that caste does not exist or that castes should not organize for the betterment of group. However, there is a problem when the Government is built around privileging one caste to the detriment of the rest. No better evidence of this required than the numerous tussles in Andhra, Karnataka, Haryana and Rajsthan over the classification of certain castes in either SC or OBC category or sub-classification within the category.
When caste alone has been used quite shamelessly by successive rulers to canvass for votes, should we not treat this move with a bit of suspicion? This is more so because there are serious methodological questions that can be raised about this Census that will affect the validity of the data that will be sought to be presented.
Presumably, the Government is not interested in the caste information for its own sake. This data will be correlated with other socio-economic factors to make a strong case for reservations for a particular community. This political use of this data is what is deeply problematic and could lead to a situation like what we saw in Rajasthan.
The reason why reservation has failed is that it follows a pareto efficiency logic that by making a few individuals in a community better off, the community as a whole will also be better off in the long run. This ignores the fact that without actually improving access to education/healthcare for all the others, the small elite created within the community corners the benefits without “passing on” the benefits for the community. This cornering of benefits will not be something that the Census will easily indicate resulting in the continuation of this system.
Reservations can be made to work if they are targetted to reach certain individuals who suffer specific disabilities and not individuals who belong to a community that is generally presumed to suffer that disability. However, according to our Supreme Court, the first option would be unconstitutional.
23 July 2007 at 9:50 pm
See those people who say that are secular and for everything they want a particular candidate belonging to a particular community/caste/religion. They say again and again like religious minority, linguistic minority, tribals, etc. But when they are to be helped the people in power just ignore them till the next elections. As long as they are not educated such disparities will be there.
24 July 2007 at 1:54 am
http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=EDITS&file_name=edit3%2Etxt&counter_img=3
Noted commentetor showed candidly the Xtian instigation to this Dalit polemic.
Xtian groups based in USA/Europe are fuelling this, and a section of Xtian activists are working hand in glove to further divide Hindus, and push a section of them to convert.
24 July 2007 at 1:57 am
Those who are unaware of Colonial polemic behind Indo-Aryan myth, or creation of “caste” should read a book “Aryan and British India”, by Thomas R. Trautmann.
Its a major book which exposed how Indilogy was highjacked by Indophobic groups from the rising Middle class Evangelicals of British Society.
PLEASE READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THESE ISSUES.
24 July 2007 at 2:04 am
And I hope this published from Mysore will be interested with one fact:
RK Narayan himself spoke about the abosulte dismal portrayal of Hinduism and hate towards Brahmins in the Missionary schools when he attended one such school in Mysore/
Its not me, but RK wrote this in his auto-biography.
I read that part in a published article in the New Yorker magazine.
24 July 2007 at 7:41 am
This is a good development. Now we will know as to which cast is in a majority
in a perticular constituency, and during elections put up a candidate of that particular cast from there. This study will only serve this purpose!
Devare kapada becu, Kannada nadanu mathu namma deshavannu!!
24 July 2007 at 10:01 am
There is absolutely no necessity to make such a hue and cry over the caste sensus. It makes a little difference as caste based politics is very much in practice here.
Let them do a survey and get the figures right (?) so that they can stop playing on reservations, internal reservations, etc. At least reservation issue will be hopefully solved. What say?
24 July 2007 at 10:36 am
Dharmaji…kaapaDalu devarigoo saadhyavilla, adakke avanu kaNNu mucci kuLitubiTTa,
24 July 2007 at 12:16 pm
friends,
it is cynical to oppose caste based census. only the privileged class can oppose such a census. for thousands of years Indian society has been divided on the basis of caste. only in posh localities of silicon city one may not be keen on finding caste of his or her neighbour (howere that is also a remote possibility). but in the rural India caste plays a major role. people are judged by his/her caste. more a census of this kind gives a clear picture has the successive government’s efforts to attain social equality has yielded any result.
we need not to be cynical about the whole process. if one is not is interested to diclose his/her caste, he can put it clearly before those who conduct census. it is not mandatory to disclose caste. i hope many people know prof K Ramdas, who passed away recently, used to write in caste column – manava jaathi. that is enough. apart from a clear picture on social strata, the census will also come out with records of how many are ready to do away with their castes – that is also interesting. moreover one can analyse how far Ambedkar’s annihilation of caste has worked out
thanks
preetham
24 July 2007 at 2:07 pm
This is ridiculous! They are using tax payer’s money to divide the society. But nothing can beat the UPA’s effort of taking Muslim census in the armed forces!
24 July 2007 at 7:49 pm
The reservation is a necessary evil in a socialistic society. It was there in the past, it is here in the present and it will be there for many more years to come. Any amount of grumbling and cribbing is of no avail. One has to accept it gracefully. Caste census is only a logical extension of that exercise to ensure the deprived section in a community that already enjoys reservation benefit its due. This is not a new thinking of recent origin. It began with the formation Mandal commission, nothing much happened after Mandalisation except catapulting the backward class leaders to the national politics. Former prime minister, V.P. Singh, the Messiah of backward class at the national level and Late Devaraj Urs at the state level played the backward class card with such a deftness that a new breed of mass leaders belonging to backward class successfully relegated the copy book leaders of the class who were in lime light because of their affluent background, academic excellence and proximity to power center.
The Sky has not fallen since the days of Mandalisation. It is nothing but the Knee jerk reaction of the people who fear to lose their power over ignorant people if poorest of the poor realizes his strength.