The Maharashtra government is “not averse to the idea” of conducting a caste-based census, said Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, a day after the result of such a census was released by the Bihar government.
Fadnavis, while speaking to reporters in Mumbai, said the government will first study the Bihar caste census report in detail, understand its methodology and then take a call on replicating the model in Maharashtra.
“Its authenticity and accuracy need to be verified,” the deputy CM stressed, adding that the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar is the only government in the country which has so come out with a census of this kind. “Even the Congress-led governments are yet to undertake this exercise.” he added.
“We are not averse to the idea of such kind of census,” Mid-Day quoted Fadnavis as saying. The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader added that a call would be taken by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde after taking into consideration all the factors.
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In the Bihar caste census, it was revealed that the Extreme Backward Classes (EBC) formed 36 percent – the largest share of the state’s population of 13 crore – followed by the Other Backward Classes (OBC) constitute 27 percent, Scheduled Castes (SC) 19.6 percent and Scheduled Tribes (ST) 2.1 percent. The section of the population categorised as General formed 15 percent, as per the report.
A day earlier, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar threw his weight behind the demand for caste census, saying that such an exercise will “help the denotified tribes”.
The demand for caste census in Maharashtra has also gained momentum since various caste groups have sought inclusion within the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) list to avail the benefits of reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.
The strongest demand has emerged from Marathas, with various groups representing the community agitating over the past six years, demanding quota for them.
The issue flared up last month, after Manoj Jarange Patil, a Maratha activist based in Jalna, sat on an indefinite fast seeking the implementation of reservation for the community. He withdrew his fast on September 13, but gave a one-month ultimatum to the Shinde government to address the community’s demands.
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Updated: 03 Oct 2023, 05:01 PM IST