Casteism is among the oldest and most complex challenges that Indian society is facing; it has its roots in ancient India. Also, the caste system in India is a reality—though not ideal—that we must reckon with. To address the malady of this hierarchical system—whose traces can be found across the whole of India—there is a need to have proper statistical information around the same. The Union Government’s decision to conduct caste enumeration along with the upcoming census, taken during a high-level Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) meeting, appears a pertinent intervention in this context. However, given the political colour the caste census has already acquired, it would be too simplistic to arrive at any conclusion of this sort. Going by the opposition’s response—particularly the Indian National Congress (INC)—the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been averse to the idea of caste census till recently. In fact, its file and rank may still not be convinced of the need to undertake caste census. After years of deferring or outright rejecting the idea, the BJP has now embraced what was once seen as the rallying cry of its ideological opponents. The only thing this equation suggests is that the government’s decision is politically driven and, more importantly, lacks intent. Policies, it is no mystery, mean nothing if they are not backed by intent and conviction.
There are three apparent political compulsions that might have forced the BJP to go for this surprise move. Firstly, Bihar Assembly elections are around the corner. Bihar is among the states where the issue of caste census holds more weightage, and is backed even by the prime NDA allies. The BJP seems to have stripped an opportunity from the opposition by dismantling this poll plank. Secondly, the BJP has surely not yet recovered from the blow it received to its ambitious expectation of securing above 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. It is speculated that lower-caste votes slipped away from BJP’s pockets ahead of the general polls. Thirdly, the BJP is aware of the new realities of India’s electoral landscape where votes of the marginalised castes cannot be taken for granted. There might be an urge for the BJP to consolidate the votes of these sections in the long term.
These are the points that opposition parties across the spectrum are trying to make before the public. In doing so, they are not shying away from claiming credit for putting the BJP-led NDA under pressure to take the caste census decision. It is undeniable that opposition’s political pressure has nudged the NDA to make this reformative move; though caste census was carried out in the pre-Independence era as well and has been conducted by certain state governments recently—a couple of which are ruled by BJP’s allies. However, it is also a fact that the issue of caste census lingered even during the ruling terms of the parties that are rallying for caste census now. It is not a matter of one party vs the other, but a matter of ruling political class vs those needing affirmative action from the government in general. It must not be lost upon Indian citizens that even though most of the political parties are presenting themselves jubilant over the decision to conduct caste census, the path ahead for the same may not be as smooth as it seems. The Union Government’s move is a manifestation of the gradual—continuing for centuries—struggle of castes placed ‘lower’ in the hierarchical ladder. The real challenge lies ahead. Will the government collect and publish data transparently? Will it lead to a reworking of quotas and entitlements based on present-day demographics? Or will it be stalled, diluted, or suppressed once its political utility fades? Without a clear timeline or legal guarantees, suspicion is bound to linger, especially because there seems to be a lack of intent among the ruling party. Nevertheless, the struggle for statistical transparency in documentation of caste equations will continue in order to ensure data-driven affirmative action.