Enumerators collect information from residents during the first phase of the caste-based census in Bihar. , Photo Credit: PTI
Isince Bihar begins its caste census In January, questions were raised whether the exercise was being done only for political gains, given that the Lok Sabha elections were just 16 months away, or whether it would be useful for the social and economic development of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Will prove , Some people have asked why this exercise is needed in Bihar. Let us examine these questions.
number required
Whatever be the intention of the Nitish Kumar government, it is an indisputable fact that we need data. Without numbers, neither political parties can concretely present their arguments for certain policies or the need for quotas, nor can governments effectively provide support through policies and programs for specific communities. It is the best way to count the number of people belonging to a community and determine their socioeconomic status (although this particular survey cannot be officially called a census as the census is conducted only every 10 years by the center may be organized by the Government).
Some even wonder if there is any logic in carrying out this exercise when the central government is averse to it. There is no harm in this – if nothing else, it will at least put an end to all speculation about the share of OBCs in the total population of Bihar. It is the numbers that give concrete meaning to vague expressions or speculations. When someone says ‘young’ or ‘old’, they are not being specific. ‘Young’ can mean less than 10 years or less than 18 years and ‘old’ can mean more than 60 years or more than 80 years. Similarly, when the OBC population is said to be ‘very large’, it creates controversy over the figures. The census is the only way to arrive at a reliable estimate.
The allegation that the timing of the exercise indicates that it is politically motivated cannot be true as Mr. Kumar has always supported caste-based census. When the issue was being debated within the National Democratic Alliance, of which he was a part, Mr. Kumar was the voice of dissent. He also urged the central government to “rethink” its position against the exercise.
While the first phase of the survey was completed in January and we will have to wait till May for the entire exercise to be completed, it cannot be denied that this survey will have political implications. The Janata Dal (United)-Rashtriya Janata Dal government has given a clear message by conducting this survey that it is interested in removing the social and economic backwardness of the OBCs. Both the parties are bound to get some electoral gains from this, especially since both the parties enjoy significant support among the OBC voters. Through this exercise, the RJD and JD(U) have given some hope to the OBCs that their plight can be improved. It would not be surprising if parties such as the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Biju Janata Dal, which are also breakaway parties from the Janata Dal, initiate this process in their states when in power, or exert pressure on their state government. are there to do the census.
Opposition to BJP
The expected gains could have been reduced had the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) not vehemently opposed the caste census during the debate on the issue. The BJP’s opposition to this exercise has only created doubts in the minds of a large section of OBCs. They do not understand why the BJP is so staunchly opposing this exercise. This has led to speculation whether the central government wants to hide some facts and numbers.
It is not clear why the BJP is opposing the exercise, which has made huge inroads into the OBC community across the country, especially the lower OBC voter base. Evidence from surveys by the Lokniti-Center for the Study of Developing Societies shows that the BJP got 44% of the OBC vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, compared to only 22% in 2009. The caste census initiated by the central government may have only given positive signals for the OBC community.
Perhaps there are other compulsions. BJP central leaders feel that the demand for caste census in the state is an attempt to revive Mandal politics. In the mid-1990s, especially in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Mandal politics gained centrality and brought about a fundamental change in OBC politics. There was a dramatic mobilization of OBCs. The BJP was struggling to build its narrative until senior leader LK Advani launched his famous Rath Yatra to counter OBC mobilisation.
However, the BJP leadership needs to realize that the BJP of today is very different from the BJP of the 1990s. Today, nine years after assuming power at the Centre, it has a wider base among all communities, including OBCs, than in the past. Many OBCs left parties like SP and RJD and supported BJP. A caste-based census by the central government will not do much harm to the nature of the BJP’s support base.
Sanjay Kumar is a professor at CSDS. Thoughts are personal; Vishakha is a final year law student at Nandini University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun. She was associated with Lokniti-CSDS as an intern