Congress Questions PM Modi on Delayed Census: Caste Count Essential for Justice
New Delhi, Oct 7: The Congress party has raised pointed questions regarding the apparent delay in conducting the Census, particularly emphasizing the necessity of including a caste count. Congress General Secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not prioritizing this crucial demographic exercise, which he argues is essential for ensuring comprehensive social, economic, and political justice in areas like education and employment.
In his remarks, Ramesh drew a stark comparison between India’s situation and that of Sri Lanka, which has recently announced the commencement of its Population and Housing Census, the first since 2012. He highlighted that while Sri Lanka is moving forward with its census amid political transitions and economic challenges, India has been stagnant. “What about India? The decennial Census was due in 2021. There is still no sign of it happening,” Ramesh stated in a post on X.
जनगणना में देरी क्यों कर रहे हैं प्रधानमंत्री, कांग्रेस ने उठाया सवाल#JairamRamesh #Congress #NarendraModi #PoliticsToday #webdunia #PMModi https://t.co/X46BihbQL2
— Webdunia Hindi (@WebduniaHindi) October 7, 2024
Ramesh went on to highlight the broader implications of the delay, pointing out that over 100 million Indians are currently being deprived of benefits under the National Food Security Act, 2013, and the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. He attributed this issue to the reliance on the 2011 Census data, which is outdated and does not accurately reflect the current demographic realities.
Additionally, Ramesh questioned the government’s reluctance to integrate caste-related inquiries into the census, a demand echoed by various political parties. He noted that detailed enumeration of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been a standard practice every ten years since 1951, yet a similar detailed count for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and other castes remains unaddressed. “What is now needed is a similar detailed count of OBCs and other castes,” he asserted.
The Congress leader emphasized that a caste census is not merely a statistical exercise but a vital step toward achieving true social equity. “It is only through a caste census that full and meaningful social, economic, and political justice can be ensured in education and employment,” he said, underlining the importance of addressing the disparities that exist within various social strata.
In a pointed critique, Ramesh also referred to Prime Minister Modi as the “non-biological PM,” questioning his commitment to addressing the pressing needs of the populace and the delays associated with the Census that would facilitate a caste count.
